Kingdom Hearts 3
by Chosen One1
Summary: (Sequel to my KH2 fic) A new threat looms on the horizon. Our heroes must embark on a new journey, with new allies, but there may be a traitor among them.
1. Prologue

Author's Comments: Hey everyone! This is Carolyn again, bringing you the sequel to the popular fanfic 'Kingdom Hearts 2'. Well, break time's over, so I figured it was time to continue the saga. This story takes place about three years after the first fanfic came to an end, so everyone in the fic's around 18 or 19 right now. They're all a little older, and a little wiser…okay, a little older anyway. One thing's for certain. Katie hasn't gotten any smarter. As I type this, I'm listening to 'Dreams Come True' by S.E.S so if you're into Japanese pop music, I would highly recommend it. Now, onto the fic. I hope it does as well as the original.

(By the way, the song playing in the background is the theme song from the TV show 'Charmed'. I do not own this song, it was sung by 'The Smiths' I think.)

_I am the son  
And the heir  
Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar  
I am the son and heir  
Of nothing in particular_

The boy unfolded his hands, as he exited his deep meditation. His face wore a grave expression. He closed his eyes. He seemed to be having a hard time coming to terms with something. Finally, he glanced upward at the girl who had been waiting impatiently.

"How is the situation?" The girl asked. He shook his head.

"It's not good, Tira. They are coming."

"But the seal…what happened to the seal?!" Tira cried.

He sighed. "I don't know. Someone damaged it. Everything's so chaotic, they are already beginning to flood the worlds."

_You shut your mouth  
How can you say  
I go about things the wrong way?  
I am human and I need to be loved  
Just like everybody else does_

"Raphael, what should we do?!" Tira asked anxiously.

Raphael sighed and rubbed his forehead. "The situation should never have become this grave. It's obvious that we're dealing with a madman." He looked up at her. "Tira, you know what must be done. Use the summoning ceremony. Call the chosen ones here to the temple! The seal MUST be restored immediately!"

"I'll see to it at once." Tira said. She turned and hurried from the room.

_When you say it's gonna happen now  
Well, when exactly do you mean?  
See, I've already waited too long  
And all my hope is gone_

Raphael looked across the room at the mural painted on the wall. It showed three young boys, wielding swords in the shape of keys, using the weapons to seal a dark matter into a black orb.

"It is time, once again, to call upon the blessing of the three great blades and the three great hearts," He murmured, "The keyblades, and the pure-hearts..."

_You shut your mouth  
How can you say  
I go about things the wrong way?  
I am human and I need to be loved  
Just like everybody else does_

Fanfiction.net Presents:

A Carolyn The Chosen One Production:

KINGDOM HEARTS 3


	2. Lemme Bring You Up to Speed

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Tired

Rant: I want to hurt the person who made gym class… (ahem) Phew, sorry 'bout the small delay. I went on vacation in Iowa over the break. It was okay…it was Iowa after all. Even while I was going to 'interesting' river museums and going down water slides, I managed to get a good deal of work done on my novel. I wrote in a notebook, on account I haven't been blessed with a laptop…yet.

Here's how my priorities work, just in case you're curious:

1.Finish my novel and get the damn thing published. (I'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR TWO FUGGIN' YEARS!)

2.Social life.

3.Finish Flash movie.

4.Get a job at local bookstore.

5.Save money to buy laptop.

6.Fanfics.

7.Pass my finals.

8.Rule everything.

'Kay, I'm done. Don't worry all you Katie fans! She'll be appearing in the next chapter so bear with me!

Destiny Islands...

Something's going to happen today.

That thought suddenly shot through Riku's mind without him meaning it to. He came to a stop and frowned.

"Why did I think that?" He asked himself, "Nothing strange has been going on. It's just business as usual here on the islands.

Riku smiled and glanced around at the tropical paradise he called home. He was a tall good-looking boy. He was 19 years old and had short silver hair and striking green eyes.

As he walked down the beach of his home, he spotted his fiancée, Mia, sitting under a palm tree reading a book. She glanced upward and smiled at him. He smiled back and continued walking. Since their adventure, three years ago, Mia's appearance had changed. She still had aqua-blue eyes, fair white skin, and freckles splashed across her nose and cheeks, but now she had cut her orange-red hair short so that the ends just barely brushed her shoulders. She was about 19 as well.

Riku recalled the events that had taken place after the final battle with the demon that had made its home inside Cedric's soul. Cedric was now living on the island with them, Sora and Kairi were still together, and then about six months after their final battle with darkness, Riku had asked Mia to marry him, and, much to Cedric's dismay, she had said yes.

Cedric. He was still in love with Mia, Riku could tell. Ever since Mia had accepted Riku's proposal, Cedric had seemed depressed more and more. It was on more than one occasion that Riku spotted him staring off into space, with a heartbroken expression on his face. Riku shuddered to think about how Cedric would act once Riku and Mia actually GOT married. He'd probably go suicidal or join a cult.

Riku found himself near the pier. He walked over to the edge of it and stared out at the vast sea that lay before him. As for Sora and Kairi, nothing had really changed between them. They didn't have to worry about romantic rivals or any of that crap. Cedric hadn't TRIED to pull him and Mia apart, but it still made Riku feel uncomfortable.

Riku tried not to think about this matter. Maybe Cedric would get over it on his own once he and Mia tied the knot. He secretly doubted it, but he changed the topic his mind was focusing on. He wondered how his otherworldly friends were doing. Were they healthy? Did they ever think about him and the others? What were they doing at that moment?

"Well, I'll probably never know." Riku sighed, "There's no chance of me ever seeing them again. No matter how much I miss them, the walls between the worlds won't budge."

But those thoughts had barely gone through Riku's mind, when he saw a quick flash of golden light above his head. Before he could look up and get a better look, something heavy came down on him. He was knocked down and pinned to the pier.

"Sorry 'bout that!" A cheerful female voice laughed nervously. "I was just...RIKU?!"

Riku shoved the girl off his back and looked at her. His jaw dropped open in shock. His eyes widened in astonishment.

"C-CAROLYN?!"


	3. Where Are They Now?

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Lazy

Rant: I liked how this chapter came out, so I uploaded it earlier than I planned. Got a problem with that? Good. Oh, and Kaite comes back in this chapter.

Carolyn stood up shakily and stared at him in wonder. "Riku? What are you doing here?"  
  
Riku sprang to his feet. "What do you mean what am I doing here? I live here! What are YOU doing here??"  
  
"Good question." Carolyn said looking around, "But I'm sure there's an answer to it somewhere." She looked at him. "Damn! You got taller!"  
  
Carolyn had changed in appearance as well. Her pale blue eyes, which had previously been covered by glasses, were now on their own. He guessed she must've gotten contacts. And her brassy blond hair was no longer chin-length. She had grown it out so that it hung halfway down her back. She was wearing a light-blue sweater with baggy sleeves that covered half of her hands. Her pants were baggy blue jeans and her feet were covered with two white sneakers. She had also gotten taller and more mature-looking.

"Now where'd those morons go?" Carolyn murmured to herself, "They were all with me when I fell through that portal..."  
  
"Who?" Riku asked. "Oh dear God, don't tell me you brought KATIE with you??"

"Of course I did! She's my best friend! She's always by my side! Well she really just followed me home once and I decided to let her hang out with me. In fact, our meeting was actually quiet interesting, so let's got to a lightening-fast flashback!"

(Flashback)

"GREAT!" A 9-year-old Katie whined as she trudged down the street, "I got kicked out of 'Moronic-Sidekicks Camp'! Well I guess its time to embrace my true calling in life...short-order-cook!"

WHAM!

She bumped into a 9-year-old Carolyn.

"Watch where you're going, fart-face!" Carolyn snapped. (Ain't she sweet!)

"Sorry." Katie sighed, "I'm kinda in a funk about having my life's dream as a moronic sidekick to a serious, smart, hero-type, person, shattered 'cause I couldn't answer some weirdo philosophy question."

Carolyn's eyes widened. "You too?! I just got kicked out of 'Serious, Smart, Hero-Type, Person's Camp' for the same reason! I guess this just goes to show that in philosophy, it's NEVER the most obvious choice."

Katie's eyes widened and she grinned. "WE'RE BEST FRIENDS NOW!"

"We're what on the what now?!" Carolyn asked. She looked extremely confused.

"We'll be bosom buddies!" Katie rambled on, "Two chums, trying to make it in this dog-eat-dog world! We'll face all kinds of challenges like boys and homework! We'll have our ups and downs, but in the end, we'll always be there for each other! It'll be great!"

"Sounds fun!"  Carolyn said sarcastically, "Say, turn around for me, will ya?"  
  
"Sure thing, best buddy!" Katie said naively turning around. With that, Carolyn yanked her heavy math book out of her book-bag and struck Katie in the head with it. (She was very violent for a 9-year-old). But instead of a brain-cracking thud, there was a hollow echoing sound from her head.

Katie turned around and continued to ramble; unaware that someone had just tried to render her unconscious. "We'll form a group of friends and go on all sorts of adventures! We'll tear evil a new one, and find true love with the hot boys in the group!"

Carolyn struck her on the head again. Once again she heard a hollow note.

"What part of being knocked out, don't you understand?!" Carolyn demanded. She stuffed the book back into her bag and slung it over her shoulders. "Listen here!" She snapped angrily, "Right now, I'm the quiet nerd with only one friend, her name is Caitlin, and I'd like to keep the status quo!" (I was friends with Caitlin before I knew Katie).

"PWEEESE BE MY FRIEND!" Katie wailed.

"No! Now go on home!" She snapped bitterly, "I don't need anyone!"

"But you said you got kicked out of 'Serious, Smart, Hero-Type, Person's Camp'!" Katie protested, "You'll need a bumbling moronic sidekick! And that's me!"

"Yeah, but we both flunked out!"  
  


"That's an even better reason! We flunkouts have to look after each other! Or else, who will??"

"...Good point." Carolyn sighed. She turned and smiled weakly at her. "My name's Carolyn."  
  


"I'm Katie!"  
  


"Well Katie, I think this is the beginning of a wonderful, yet strange, friendship!"

(End Flashback)

"...And then later, I discovered me and Katie had TONS of stuff in common and we've been buds ever since!" Carolyn finished.

"Why did you bother telling me all that?" Riku asked in disgust.

"I thought I should explain why I hang out with the comedy relief." Carolyn said calmly, "Now where is she?"  
  
"DOWN HERE!" A familiar voice rang out. Carolyn knelt down on the pier and looked down in the water. Katie was swimming on the surface. Also with her, were Caitlin, Cronos, Sam, and one boy that Riku didn't recognize.

"Just our luck!" Caitlin shouted as she and the others pulled themselves onto the pier. "We land in freezing cold water, and you land on a hot guy!"

Katie looked the same as before. She wore black-rimmed glasses over her brown eyes. The only major difference was some black highlights that had been dyed into her reddish-brown hair. She was wearing black fishnets that crept up and down both her arms, and she wore a black T-shirt that said in red letters 'I'm with stupid'. Her jeans were black, and she wore black combat boots. Her skin was pale white from a SERIOUS lack of sun. She was also a good deal taller.

Caitlin's long bushy brown hair was tied back in a ponytail. Her gray eyes burned with anger. Being the oldest, her height hadn't increased much, but her face looked more adult. She wore a red T-shirt with a fire pattern on the front, and blue jeans. She also wore sneakers.

Cronos was dressed in the same attire Riku had last seen him in. He was taller and his red and black hair had grown a little but there was minimal difference. His right ear was pierced and there was an earring with a black stone there. He still looked like something was bugging him and to vent some of his anger, he punched Katie in the back of the head.

Sam also looked the same, except he had gotten taller as well. His short brown hair was spiked up in front. He pulled his sopping-wet jean-jacket tightly over himself. Underneath the jacket, he wore a black T-shirt. His jeans were blue and baggy and his sneakers were gray.

The unfamiliar boy had blond hair tied back in a small ponytail and piercing green eyes. His skin was pale. He wore a dark green sweatshirt, along with a pair of blue jeans, and white sneakers.

"CAROLYN!" Katie squealed. She jumped up, grabbed her friend's arm, and spun her around in a sort of 'doe-see-doe' dance, "CAROLYN! IT'S BEEN YEARS!"  
  


"YOU JUST SAW ME FIVE SECONDS AGO YOU MORON!" Carolyn yelled, slapping Katie for her stupidity.

"Sorry." Katie said grinning. "But I always find time to dance!"

"Well, she hasn't changed at all." A voice said calmly. Riku turned around. Mia was standing there smiling.

"MIA!" Katie laughed. She ran up and grabbed both her friend's hands. "GOOD TA SEE YA!"

The unfamiliar blond boy grinned broadly at Mia. He pushed Katie aside and stuck out his hand. "So you're Mia? Well my name's Alexander, and I'm single!"

"Number one!" Caitlin shouted punching the boy on the back of the head, "You are NOT single, Alex, you are MY boyfriend and you know it! And Number Two: she's Riku's girlfriend!"

Alex grinned. "I fail to see what problems those facts will cause."  
  
"Ugh." Cronos said rolling his eyes, "Just ignore Sir Pervo. He thinks he can have any girl he wants! Well see this?!" He spun around and kissed Carolyn on the mouth. Then he turned and glared triumphantly at Alex, "THERE! That move of affection symbolizes that she's my property, and I own her!"  
  
"Who owns who?!" Carolyn snarled.

"Yeah I can see" Alex grumbled, "You did that five times today just to mock me!"

"Wow!" Riku laughed pointing at Carolyn and Cronos, "I didn't know you two were together."  
  
"I had an inkling." Mia said smiling.

"We just started dating a little while after we last saw you guys." Carolyn said elbowing Cronos in the ribs. "Unfortunately, Cronos loves to rub it in Alex's face. He gets it! We're going out!"

Cronos smiled at her. "I'm just trying to _savor the flavor!_"

Everyone else laughed, but Carolyn poked him in the ribs and said, "Stop, saying that."  
  
"Aw, I never get to have any fun!"

"See? That's why I was saying we should get another dog!" Carolyn yelled.

"We're not having the dog conversation again."

"I _hate _you." Carolyn snapped folding her arms and going into 'pout mode'.

"How did you guys get here?" Mia asked.

Carolyn shrugged. "No idea. We were sitting at my house, sipping soda, munching potato chips, and flipping off the TV like we always do, when BOOM!" She yelled the last word making everyone jump, "We were all sucked into this blue vortex and fell out of the sky. Then I landed on your head, and then we went to a flashback… oh yeah you already know that."

For a few moments, everyone was silent. Finally, Katie opened her big yap.

"Hey, I wonder how much weight this pier can support."

Suddenly, the pier collapsed underneath them, plunging the group of friends, into the water.

"Well Katie congratulations!" Carolyn said sarcastically as she and everyone else pulled themselves onto the beach, "You managed to alter reality with your words AGAIN!"

"You mean like last weekend?"

('Nother Flashback purely for your amusement)

Carolyn and Katie sat in Carolyn's living room, playing video games on the PS2. Both of them were completely absorbed in 'Tony Hawk Underground', until Katie broke the silence.

"I wonder if Cronos tried those 'Final Fantasy' games you lent him?"  
  


Suddenly the door flew open and Cronos burst in. His eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep, his hair was messy, and he stank as if he hadn't showered in a week.

"Cronos?" Carolyn asked in shock, "What happened to yo-"

"HIT POINTS!" He bellowed, "MANA! I NEED EXPERIENCE POINTS AND I NEED THEM NOW! I MUST LEVEL UP MY CHARACTERS SO I CAN KILL SEPHIROTH!"

He sat on the floor, hugged his knees to his chest, and started rocking back and forth, laughing hysterically.

"…I think that means 'yes'." Katie said flatly.

(End Flashback)

"Yes! Just like that!" Carolyn snapped, "Except this time, Cronos doesn't smell bad! Thank god…"

"What's all the screaming about?" A voice called. Riku turned around. Sora and Kairi were hurrying towards them, but they stopped dead in their tracks once they saw Carolyn.

"Is that…" Sora asked in shock as he pointed at Carolyn.

"Yeah, them." Riku said nodding. He gestured towards them, "It's Carolyn and Co," He pointed at Alex, "And that guy's a perv." Alex struck him on the back of the head. "I mean, he's Alex, and he's a friend of hers and he's Caitlin's boyfriend."

"I'm also one of Carolyn's guardians." Alex added smugly.

"Join the club, moron." Cronos said rolling his eyes.

"Shut up, Cronos." Alex snarled.

"No I mean it, " Cronos said seriously, "Join the club. We meet every Wednesday. We play D&D and talk about anime. We're trying to save money for a field trip to Tokyo."

"How amusing, that's their second argument in five minutes." A voice chuckled. Everyone looked up. Cedric was sitting on top of a palm tree looking very amused. He jumped down, then everyone noticed something strange. Cedric was wearing the clothing he had worn when he had been prince of the Heartless. The shirt was gray and had a Heatless insignia on the front. It had a long blue cape attached to the back. His pants were also blue with black armored knee covers.  His boots were grayish-blue in color.

"He's even dressed as a villain!" Katie cried. She ran up and started poking him, "And lookin' good too!"

"Cedric, two questions," Riku stated, "Number one: How long were you listening to us talk, and Number Two: Why are you wearing your villains costume?"

"I've been listening since Carolyn fell on your head," Cedric said smiling, "And number two, I really don't have a reason for wearing this costume, I just wanted to see if it still fit."  
  
"You anti-heroes are so strange." Caitlin said rolling her eyes.

"But how did Carolyn and the others get here?" Kairi said frowning, "What's happening with the worlds?"

"I wish I could say," Cedric sighed, "I really do."

"Maybe the Heartless have returned." Sam suggested.

"Doubtful," Cedric said shaking his head, "When we departed Hollow Bastion, all the Heartless that I had gathered into that storm of power faded along with the world."

"Then what-" Carolyn began to say. But she was interrupted as the patch of earth underneath them began to glow a deep blue color. The ground underneath them seemed to vanish and they all plunged into the earth. Everyone tried to scream, but it felt like their very voices had been drawn from their bodies. Riku squeezed his eyes shut as he fell. It felt like the very air had been sucked from his lungs. He couldn't breathe; rather he was AFRAID to breathe.

Suddenly he felt his body slam down onto something hard. For some reason, he was exhausted. He hardly had the strength to open his eyes.

Right before he passed out, he heard a voice say: "It worked. Well done, Tira."


	4. Life Changing Importence

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Apprehensive

Rant: My birthday is coming up. On May 7, 1989, I came into this world, looked around and thought 'Put me back! This place is f*cked up!' Katie's birthday is coming up too. On May 5. Two days older than me.

I'm going to the Acen convention this year. I'm really excited, 'cause I'll be able to see Fred Gallheger! (Think that's how it's spelled) For those of you who don't know, he's the genius behind Megatokyo. I'm cosplaying (meaning dressing up) as Kikyo from Inu-yasha. Now I'm sitting around, waiting for my tickets to come in the mail. Also, my favorite author, Darren Shan, is coming to my local bookstore on May 12! It's like a dream come true! The universe's birthday gift to ME! YAY!

Cedric's head was spinning. It felt like someone had viciously beaten him with a bag of bricks, and then flung his body in front of a moving truck. His whole body ached so badly, he couldn't even open his eyes.

He felt something cold being pressed against his forehead and his body jerked with shock. His golden-catlike eyes snapped open. He was looking up into the face of a teenage girl. She looked about his age, and had short, dark, brown hair and deep blue eyes. She was wearing a white shirt with billowing sleeves, and a long blue skirt. She had been wiping his forehead with a damp cloth.

"Sorry," She said pulling her hand back. Her voice was soft and sweet, "Did I wake you up?"  
  
"I was already up," Cedric grumbled sitting up, "I just couldn't open my eyes."

"Ah." She said nodding. "Well I'm glad to see you're feeling better, Cedric."

"Who said I was feeling better?" Cedric said rolling his eyes. "I'm just awake, and… And you just called me Cedric, didn't you?"  
  
"That is your name, isn't it?"

"Yes, but I don't remember telling it to you."  
  
She smiled slightly. "I know a lot about you, Cedric. I probably know more about you than you do."  
  


"It's my life," Cedric said frowning, "No one knows more about it than me. Now who are you, and what's going on?"

"Everything will be explained to you soon enough." The girl said calmly. She stood up. "Now come. Your friends have already awoken, and we can't explain what's going on until you are there. So, needless to say, they've been very impatient."

She turned and walked out of the room. Cedric used this small amount of time to survey his surroundings. He was in a small stone room with no windows. The only light came from torches on the walls. There was a single wooden door that the girl had exited through. He had been sleeping on a cot for God only knows how long. But other than that, there was nothing interesting about his surroundings.

"Are you coming?" The girl's voice called. Cedric rolled his eyes. He didn't even know her name and she was already getting on his nerves. He got up and followed her into the hallway.

The hallway wasn't too different than the room. The walls were made of stone and lit by torches. Various wooden doors were visible, but the girl walked right past them and to the end of the hall. A large double door awaited them. She pushed it open and entered the room, Cedric followed.

He found himself in a large square room. Torches also lighted this room. There was a blood-red carpet going from the door to the base of a wooden throne.

Sitting in the throne was a boy that looked a few years older than him. He had deep blue eyes and brown hair, identical to the girl's. His hair was extremely long and tied back so it hung down in a thin ponytail. He had pale skin and was very handsome. He was wearing a long black cloak, held shut by Chinese-style buttons on the chest. He had a kind smile, and Cedric could sense, just by looking at him, that he was VERY powerful.

"Good, you finally woke up, ya bum!" Katie's voice rang out. Cedric turned around. To his left, he saw all his friends, standing there looking impatient.

"Well it's about damn time!" Cronos grumbled. "We've been here for over an hour! They wouldn't let us leave for anything, not even to use the john!"  
  
"Speaking of which," Katie added, "When we're done talking, I REALLY have to go."

"I apologize for making you wait so long," The boy said calmly, "But I needed to speak to all of you." He stood up. The girl that had led Cedric to the room walked forward and stood next to him. "First," He continued, "I think introductions are in order. We already know who all of YOU are, but we haven't told you our names." He pointed at himself, "My name is Raphael," He gestured towards the girl, "And this is my twin sister, Tira."

He looked at all of them. His eyes were serious. "I suppose you want to know where you are. You are in a place called White Apocalypse Temple."

"And that helps us…HOW?!" Carolyn asked looking extremely annoyed.

Raphael sighed. "You may want to sit down, what I have to tell you is of life-changing importance…to all of you."


	5. Shattered Seal

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Excited

Rant: Today, I'm heading to Rosemont for the Acen convention. It turns out that I'm the only one cosplaying. (Caitlin was to go as Kagome, and Katie as Shippo) but they couldn't get their costumes done in time, so I'm cosplaying as Kikyo. I drew a picture of what all three of us would've looked like if we had cosplayed. I'll post a link to it in the next chapter. The inking sucks, but my drawings have gotten MUCH better. I also went to my bookstore the day Darren Shan (my fav author) came to my town for a book signing. Darren was really nice. He reminded me of myself and my friends so much it was scary. He looked EXACTLY like the Dungeon Master of my group. As we walked to the back of the store before he showed up, we walked by this guy coming in (HE BRUSHED AGAINST KATIE'S ARM) and I thought 'Wow, Nathan's here'. Suddenly everyone was applauding. I spun around and thought 'WAIT A MINUTE'. He was so cool. We asked him a bunch of questions, got lots of 'Cirque Du Freak' swag, and he signed all my books and wrote comments in them! Caitlin asked him for a hug. ; He was pretty weirded out, but he hugged her anyway. She swore she's going to frame the shirt she was wearing. We all got a group picture, (I'll post a link to it later) when my mom told us to say 'cheese' he grinned maniacally and said 'blood…' We could not stop laughing.

Anyway, we have a half-day in school today. Should be fun…

Everyone sat down on the floor. Raphael thought for moment.

"I'm not sure where to start…" He mumbled. He sighed and straightened up in his seat. "Alright. Sora, Riku, and Cedric. You know that you three are the keyblade masters, sworn to protect the worlds from the Heartless, correct?"

"Right…" Sora said frowning.

"Well, you three are not the first ones to wield the keyblades. Several hundred years ago, three young boys held those weapons as well. Their mission was to protect a pure-heart woman by the name of Aurora. Aurora was responsible for keeping darkness under control and to keep it from spreading throughout the worlds. Eventually, however, Aurora's power was no longer sufficient to hold back the evil. Her power had been weakened, because she had fallen in love with one of her protectors. The power that Aurora had struggled to hold back began to emerge. Using the last ounce of her life force, Aurora sealed the darkness inside of Kingdom Hearts. A seal within a seal. The three keyblade masters used their power to finish the seal. With that, Aurora died."

"What does this story have to do with anything?" Riku asked.

"You are the reincarnations of those three boys. After many generations, it seems that you three have the closest genetic makeup of them. Therefore, you are able to use the keyblades."

"And what about Aurora?" Carolyn asked, "What about her power?"  
  
Raphael looked at her. "Her heart was reincarnated into three young girls. The Pure-Hearts."

"So if there's a seal in place, why do you need us?" Mia asked.

"The seal was broken recently." Tira broke in. "We don't know who's responsible, but the darkness is growing. It is known as the Lifeless. The Heartless were born from them, and now that the seal is broken our time is running short, we need the three Pure-Hearts, and Keyblade Masters to restore the seal."

"A SEAL WAS INJURED?!" Katie screamed, "OH THE POOR LITTLE ANIMAL!"

"Is she okay?" Raphael asked frowning.

"Katie's never been okay." Responded Carolyn, who had taken her walkman out of her pocket and was now strangling Katie with the headphones.


	6. The New Pure Heart

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Bored

Rant: I had the last normal day of classes today. I am emotionally drained. Freshmen year was hell. The reason for my lack of updates is because I have my finals next week and I have been studying like mad to get ready. I know I promised a link to the picture I drew, and the pictures of me, Katie, and Caitlin, with Darren Shan, but that's just not going to happen in this chapter. I had no time to scan the drawing, much less color it. (Hey, I've got it right in front of me; maybe I'll do that now…) And my mom hasn't transferred the photos with my fav author to the computer yet, so I can't post a link to those either. I'll get it done eventually. Maybe not in this chapter, maybe not in the next, but in some chapter. Summer break's almost here, time to get some major work done one the ol' novel.

By the way, I had an awesome time at Acen. Fred Gallagher rules.

"Odd…" Raphael said raising an eyebrow.

"Hey Care?" Cronos said gently trying to pry the wire off the dying Katie's throat. "Maybe you should calm down a little…"

"Five more minutes." She growled dangerously. Her eyes flickered a demonic red color. "I've put up with this for eight years. I DESERVE FIVE MINUTES."

"I see no problem with that." Cronos said standing up quickly. It was obvious he didn't want to further invoke her wrath.

"So you summoned us all here?" Mia asked Raphael. She hoped that if she changed the subject, Carolyn would forget about strangling Katie.

"Tira did actually. She's a very skilled sorceress."

Cedric frowned and stared at Tira. Now that he really concentrated, he could detect a strong magic aura surrounding her. Why hadn't he noticed before?

"Well, you're a Pure-Heart short." Carolyn said straightening up. A semi-conscious Katie slumped to the ground. The near-comatose teen stared straight up at the stone ceiling of the room as Carolyn continued to talk. "Yuna isn't here. Are you going to summon her later?"

"Yuna, the second Pure-Heart, won't be coming." Raphael sighed. "You see, her world known as Spira; is an old world. For thousands of years, they've been plagued by monsters and the entity known as Sin. The have only recently regained their peace. This makes them very susceptible to the looming threat of darkness. Right now, the strength of her heart is the only thing maintaining Spira. If we were to take Yuna from her world, it would fade, along with all the people in it. We're looking to SAVE lives, not end them."

Riku felt a pang of despair in his heart. He'd known that eventually Yuna and the others would go back to Spira, and he'd never see them again. But since hearing that all three Pure-Hearts were needed, his hopes had slowly been climbing. Now they had completely fallen. It was true. He was really never going to see them again.

"Then how do you expect to restore the seal without this 'Yuna' person?" Alex asked frowning. He had his head tilted to the side and was frowning at Raphael. His eyes wore a suspicious glare.

Raphael responded to his glare with a small smile. "We can improvise, we don't necessarily need the person to be Yuna. Just someone with the power of the Pure-Hearts." He turned to Carolyn who was watching Caitlin poke Katie with a stick to see if she was still breathing. "Don't you agree, Carolyn?"

"Huh?" Carolyn said pointing at herself. Her face looked bewildered. "Me? But I'm no Pure-Heart."

"You got that right." Katie growled weakly from the floor. This remark was met with a swift kick in the side from Carolyn. A sickening crack and popping sound could be heard from Katie's back. Carolyn was in one of her wonderful moods again.

"That a fact, Skippy?" Carolyn snapped. Katie was moaning on the ground in pain.

"At one point, you merged your powers with the three Pure-Hearts to use the Omega Arrow, didn't you?" Raphael asked calmly, as if he'd been expecting that response.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anythi-"

"You took some of their powers into your soul." Raphael interrupted. Carolyn's eyes narrowed. She hated being interrupted, but she let Raphael continue his speech. "Those powers became a part of you. You had great Spirit Power before this happened, so your body accepted them and gave you those abilities. Basically, you ARE a Pure-Heart now. Therefore, you can perform the sealing ceremony along with the others."

Alex's face hadn't changed. It seemed that this explanation was good enough for him. But he was still looking at Raphael as if he had just committed some grave sin.

"So we perform this stupid ceremony and we all go home, right?" Cronos asked grinning hopefully. He waved his hand. "BAM! It's over and we're back in the living room, watching crappy reality TV. Right?"

Tira shrugged. "I wish it were that simple. But the ceremony can only be perform on two specific days." She held up two fingers. "The first night of the full moon," She lowered a finger, "And the last night of the full moon. If we miss both of those dates, we'll have to wait a whole month before we can try again. And by then, it will be too late."

"A MONTH?!" Cronos roared. He was apoplectic. "GREAT! JUST GREAT! I'M GOING TO MISS THE RELEASE OF THE THIRD 'HARRY POTTER' MOVIE! AND IT'S GOT GARY OLDMAN IN IT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! I LOVE THAT GUY! SOMEBODY SHOOT ME!"

"Calm down man!" Sam said quickly, "Don't you watch 'The Weather Channel'? The first night of the full moon is in three days!"

Cronos' face immediately returned to normal. "Really? Phew. What a relief. If I ever lose control like that again, shoot me."  
  
"Will do." Caitlin said giving him a mock salute.

"How do you know so much?" Kairi asked frowning.

Raphael stared at her for a moment. His eyebrows rose in surprise. "You're a…Princess of Heart?"

"I…guess…" Kairi said nodding slowly. She felt like if she made any sudden movements around him, something horrible would happen.

Raphael looked at her for a second; then he let out a sigh of relief and smiled warmly. "I see. Well in response to your question, I am the High Priest of this temple. Tira is the High Priestess. You probably didn't see them earlier, but there are many more people here as well. Most of them are survivors from the Heartless' first attack. This temple has been dedicated to guarding the legend, and we have been entrusted with the task of summoning the Chosen Ones should the worst happen. And the worst HAS happened. The Lifeless are being unleashed. They haven't been completely released yet, because the seal was only PARTLY destroyed. But trust me, if the seal was completely shattered, we'd all be dead right now. And the damage to the seal is getting worse, even as we speak."

"Why can't we just kill them off using the Keyblades?" Sora asked, "You know, hunt the ones the have escaped down, and wipe them out, one-by-one."

"The Keyblades have no effect on these creatures. Nor will any other weapon we possess here, harm them. There is only one thing to do. The seal must be restored. For good this time!" Raphael now seemed very anxious, almost pleading. "What do the three Pure-Hearts have to say about this?"

Mia looked over at Carolyn and Katie. Carolyn had her arms folded and her head lowered slightly. It seemed she was thinking it over very carefully. Katie was still on the ground. Mia wondered if Katie had actually heard any of the conversation through her blinding pain.

Mia decided to make the first move. She stepped forward. "I'll do it."  
  
Carolyn sighed and shrugged. "What the hey. I'll do it too."  
  
Everyone waited for a response from Katie. When none was heard, Carolyn knelt down next to her friend/abuse-outlet and said, "Uh…Katie? Why don't you stand up and say something?"  
  
Katie looked up at her. "I'm waiting from my vertebrae to realign." She said flatly.

Caitlin calmly knelt next to her. She grabbed Katie by the arm and jerked her into a sitting position, and then with one movement, she put her hand on Katie's back and shoved hard. There was stomach-churning crack.

"YOW!" Katie screamed as Caitlin released her arm. Katie seemed to have fully recovered in the span of five milliseconds. "SHOW SOME MERCY! I'M DYING HERE!"  
  
"A twisted spinal column," Caitlin mused, (being a master of healing arts and all), "Two broken ribs, strangulation wounds, and an exploded kidney. If Carolyn gave you those injuries just now and you're still breathing, then you won't die anytime soon." She whipped out a small silver sword with holes running up the sides. She blew a few quick notes on it, and Katie's numerous bruises and lacerations disappeared.

"Okie dokie!" Katie said, suddenly cheerful again, "I'll do it!"

Raphael breathed a huge sigh of relief and smiled. He collapsed back into his throne and closed his eyes. "Thank the Gods… Well I imagine you're all weary after this. Tira will take you to get some food and then she'll show you to your rooms."  
  
"FOOD?!" Katie squealed hopping up and down excited, "YIPPERS! I'M STARVING! LETS GO!" She turned and sprinted out of the room. Riku smiled.  Katie was fun to be around…if you overlooked the collateral damage that constantly sprang up in her wake.


	7. Orphans of War

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Bored

Rant: I felt bad about the delay with the last chapter, so I wrote up the next one as soon as I could. Just a note, I think this story is going to have a lot more angst than the original. My writing has greatly improved, so I think this will mean a much deeper and expressive story, but this one is going to be a bit more serious than the other one. Katie will still keep it pretty humorous, but if it were all humor it would be Action/Adventure/Humor instead of Action/Adventure/Romance. It's going to have some sad moments, so please bear with me and don't stop reading please! (Drops down into pleading position)

* * *

"Man!" Cronos said in shock as they walked down the stone halls. "That guy, Raphael dropped so much of the plot and was so COOL about it!"  
  
Alex waited until he was sure Tira couldn't hear them, then he whispered to his friends, "That's exactly why I don't trust him, dude."

"Huh?" Caitlin said frowning, "But he seemed so nice!"  
  
"I know, but there's something wrong with his aura. I don't trust that guy as far as I can throw him."

"With your weak wrists, you shouldn't throw anybody!" Carolyn joked.

Alex glared at her. "Go soak your head."

Cedric was staring at Tira in an odd way. She finally noticed and turned to face him. "What are you staring at?"  
  
"I couldn't detect your aura earlier." Cedric stated flatly, "But after I found out that you were a sorceress, I could detect your chi. Why was that?"

"I've learned to hide my chi." Tira stated calmly, "You have to really concentrate, or you can't sense it. This makes it easy to fool my opponents."

"I see." Cedric said nodding, "Well, you're so innocent looking, I doubt anyone would guess you had such power at your disposal."  
  
She smiled and nodded. "Exactly."

They reached a large room with several long wooden tables. There were a few people sitting at a table on the other side of the room talking. They stopped and stared at Riku and the others as they entered the room. Tira led them over to a table with a few loaves of bread and a large cauldron filled with a tasty-smelling liquid.

"Go right ahead and dig in." Tira said gesturing towards the food, "I'm sorry it's so simple, but it was all we could scrap up on such short notice."

Eager for any source of nourishment, the group of friends sat down and began to eat. Carolyn was an extremely fast eater, so everyone was shocked when she downed all the broth in her bowl in one gulp.

"Hey!" She said spooning up some more of the soup, "This stuff's not bad!"  
  
"How can you eat so much, so fast and not gain a pound?!" Sam asked in shock.

"It's a gift." Carolyn said grinning. She took a bite of bread after she finished speaking.

"Does she always do that?" Tira asked as she watched the young girl in amazement.

"Sometimes," Caitlin said calmly, "Carolyn's not a glutton by any means, but when she's hungry, she can eat enough food to feed an army."

As Riku was downing a goblet of water, he noticed that the people from across the room were coming up to the table.

A boy that looked two years younger than them, pointed at them. He had short blond hair and wore a black headband. His eyes were hazel with flecks of green in them. "Tira? Are those the Chosen Ones?"

Tira nodded. "Indeed they are, Cassius."

The boy called Cassius grinned. "Good to meet you! I'm Cassius Dracon!" He pointed at a girl standing behind him. She was very skinny and had long black hair and green eyes. "This is Cassandra Knight," He pointed at a boy with dark skin, black hair, and brown eyes, "And this is Marcus Lineth."

"Yo!" Katie said cheerfully, through a mouthful of bread and broth.

"So it's finally going to happen?" Marcus asked Tira, as he, Cassius, and Cassandra sat down across from them, "The sealing ceremony?"

"Yes." Tira said smiling.

Cassius elbowed Marcus and grinned. "Of course it's going to happen! Raphael said so! You should always trust him! He's kept us alive so far!"  
  
"Oi." Cassandra said rolling her eyes, "Please excuse Cassius. He's sort of a Raphael hero-worshipper. Raphael's been training him to fight, and is always looking out for him. He calls Cassius 'Little Brother'."

Cassius grinned sheepishly as Cassandra spoke.

"Kiss-ass." Marcus said rolling his eyes.

"Aw you're just jealous that I'm his favorite," Cassius said grinning. Then the young boys face became serious. Cassius leaned towards Riku and his friends. "Listen, do me a favor will you? Make SURE you stop these 'Lifeless' things. My parents were killed by the Heartless and my world was obliterated. I'm only alive because of Raphael, but he can't handle everything on his own. Stop those bastards, I don't want anymore kids to wind up orphans like me."

Mia smiled kindly. "Don't worry. We'll do our best. Well stop them before they get through what's left of the seal."

Cassius nodded smiled weakly. Cassandra patted him on the back and smiled at everyone. "It was nice meeting you all, but we've got to go. We're helping with preparations for the ceremony." The three teenagers hurried off.

"Were all three of them refugees from the Heartless' first attack?" Kairi asked in shock.

Tira nodded sadly. "Yes, all three of them had their whole families wiped out."  
  
Sora felt sick suddenly. He never imagined how much heartbreak that the Heartless had caused. He wondered how many other children had lost their families, or their lives, to the Heartless.

"If I had just stopped Ansem sooner," Sora thought miserably as he nibbled on his piece of bread, "Cassius might still have his parents." At that moment, to him, the food tasted very bitter.


	8. Broken Emotions

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Guilty

Rant: I still felt bad for the lack of updates, plus I got an idea and that's REALLY rare for me, so I typed up another chapter. In this one, I decided that we could catch a glimpse at Cedric's personality. I thought people could use a glance at his inner torment. He's hopelessly in love with a girl he can never have. Plus we also get to she how Mia feels about Cedric's feelings for her, and we also get to see that Tira might, JUST MIGHT, be having some feelings for Cedric. This chapter is pretty serious. (Sorry Katie fans, no jokes for you in this chappie!) And now if you excuse me, I'm going to go see if Megatokyo updated yet... (checks and discovers it hasn't.) DAMNIT! By the way, I'm going to put up another chapter of 'Behind the Terror' up later tonight. Maybe around 6:00. So be on the lookout!

* * *

_"Mother!" Cedric screamed, "Don't do this!"  
  
" I must do what my heart tells me." His mother responded, "One day, you will understand."  
  
"I don't care!" He cried. The 6-year-old boy was on the verge of tears. "I won't let you!"_

_"Cedric, when your heart tells you something, you must listen. It will guide you." She said softly, "My heart tells me that I must aide your father in his experiment. Perhaps we can banish the darkness with it."_

_"Please mother!" Cedric cried as tears spilled down his face, "I…I can't live without you! I don't need anyone else, but you and father!"_

_"Cedric, I am sorry. I love you my son. But I must play my part in this great destiny. Take care of yourself." With those words, she passed through the doors and vanished. Cedric sank to his knees. He buried his face in the floor and sobbed. He already knew he was never going to see his mother again._

_"What my heart tells me?" He cried, "I hate my heart! Why should I have to listen to it?! WHY?!"_

Cedric jolted awake. He sat up in bed and looked around his small stone room. He wiped the tears and sweat off his face and sighed.

"Mother…" He thought, "It all happened when I was six…why do you haunt my dreams? Why can't you leave me in peace? Are you trying to tell me something? Have you been trying to tell me for 13 years?"

He swung his feet over the side of the bed and stood up shakily. "Trust my heart?" He scoffed to himself as he walked out into the hall. "The last time I trusted my heart, I fell in love with someone who loved another…" Cedric's thoughts drifted to Mia. He sighed miserably. "I still love her…no matter what, I cannot simply STOP loving her."

He walked out onto a balcony outside the temple. The temple itself, floated in the middle of Interspace. Therefore the dark blue sky was visible, but it occasionally glowed softly with different colors, giving the temple the appearance of eternal night.

Cedric strode over to the railing and leaned on it and gazed sadly out at the sky. (If you could call it a sky). He was secretly disgusted at himself. He had kidnapped Mia twice, put the people she loved through hell, and now he was still pining over her.

"Cedric, you are so pitiful…" He growled. "God damnit…I hate myself…"

"Who do you hate?" A voice called out. Cedric felt a chill run up his spine. He knew that voice. He spun around and stared at the person who had addressed him.

"M-Mia…" He gulped. He turned his head; he wouldn't meet her gaze.

"Mind if I stay out here?" She asked, "I can't get to sleep."

"S-Sure…" He stammered. He turned and quickly pretended that he was focusing on the sky again, but he was really panicking inside his mind. "Oh jeez…" He thought franticly, "What now?!"

"You're all sweaty." Mia said frowning. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing…" He sighed. He silently patted himself on the back for not stammering with that word.

She smiled and stared out at the depths of Interspace. "Oh wow! It's been so long since the last time I rode in the Gummi Ship! I almost forgot what Interspace looked like! It's so pretty, isn't it Cedric?"

"Uh-huh…" He said. Then he silently added to her, "But not nearly as pretty as you."

"So, what brings you out here?" She asked.

Cedric shrugged. "I had some dreams about a part of my life I would've been happier to forget."

"Your mother?"

Cedric nodded. It never ceased to amaze him how Mia could see right through people. Was that why she had chosen Riku? Had she been able to see through the heart that had been corrupted by darkness at some point? Had she been able to see through to the person inside? Cedric's heart began to race.

"I know how you feel." Mia sighed. "Both of my parents were killed when the heartless attacked Infinity Islands. I found out right after I returned for a little while. I was so desperate to leave, and in a few months that desire became so strong that I was able to go to Destiny Islands. I have no one left in Infinity Islands, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to bring myself to leave."

Cedric was quiet. He'd had no idea that Mia had been suffering so much inside.

"Does…does Riku know?" He managed to get out.

"No. If I told him, I just know that somehow he'd feel partly responsible. I don't want to cause him that kind of pain." She sighed. "Riku may seem tough and strong sometimes, but he has weaknesses just like anyone else. And it hurts just as much when-"

She was cut off suddenly when Cedric flung his arms around her in a tight hug. He could hardly believe he'd done it, but it had been an impulse that he couldn't control. Mia's mouth hung open in shock.

"Do you really love Riku that much?" Cedric asked sadly, "I know that you don't feel that way about me, but I can't forsake how I feel! I love you! I've loved you from the first moment I saw you!"

Mia pulled herself free from his grip and glared at him. "How can you do something like this?!" She snapped, "You know how I'm engaged to Riku, and you still chase me like this!"  
  
Cedric stared at her helplessly. "I consider Riku to be one of my only true friends. You think I ENJOY being hopelessly in love with his fiancée?! I can't help it!"

Mia's eyes softened slightly, but not much. "Well you better stop." She growled.

Cedric shook his head. "That's easy for you to say. Don't you think I've TRIED?!" He stared at her sadly. "But…when I look at you…" He placed his hand on the side of her face. "I mean…look at you…" He suddenly pulled her close and kissed her passionately on the mouth. Mia's eyes widened in shock, then they narrowed in anger. She ripped herself free from his grip. For a moment, she just stared at him in fury. Then she raised her right hand and slapped him across the face. She stormed off angrily.

Cedric felt the side of his face. It stung badly, but it was nothing compared to the pain in his heart.

Around the corner stood someone who had been listening to their entire conversation. Tira's eyes were full of sadness. She glanced back at Cedric, who was rubbing the sore side his face. She then shook her head sadly, turned, and walked away.


	9. Cronos's Backstory Part 1

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Bored

Rant: Just a note, Cassandra Knight is actually a character from a story that Katie's working on. You can read some of it at fictionpress.com. Her name is VampireLover666, and the story's title is 'Red White and Black'. It's very good in my opinion, but Katie doesn't think so. Then again, Katie just likes to make things hard on herself. And Marcus Lineth is a character in the sequel of the novel I am currently working on. And Cassius is a character from a webcomic I'm planning on making some day! And just a note, this chapter is the beginning of Cronos's backstory. It came out extremely long, so it's going to have to span about three chapters. Sorry about this. But it's really good!

The next day was probably the most awkward in Cedric's life. He guessed Mia hadn't told Riku about the little 'incident' that occurred, because when he went to go eat breakfast the next morning, Riku didn't try to kill him. Mia, however, wouldn't look him in the face. And as soon as he sat down across from her, she excused herself and left.

"Damnit," He thought angrily, "What the hell was I thinking? What I did was inexcusable. I'm scum. I deserved to be slapped."

Cedric sat there for a while, silently cursing himself, until he was the only one left in the room. Then he slammed his head down the table. Familiar anger boiled in his heart. He was full of anger at himself, and anger at the world.

"This is perfect…" He grumbled, "I find a girl I love more than anything in the universe, she's kind, she's smart, she's beautiful…and she belongs to someone else. Why does this sort of thing always happen to me…"

"You think your life is bullshit?" A familiar voice broke in, "Wait until you hear my story."

Cedric looked up. Cronos was sitting down across from him. He was smirking at him.

"I'm in no mood to talk…" Cedric grumbled lowering his head back down to the table's surface, "Just leave me alo-"

A searing pain in his scalp interrupted Cedric. Cronos had grabbed a handful of his blue hair and jerked him up so he was looking Cronos in the eye.

"Okay, enough of this angst-filled crap. Got it? I've got some stuff to say, and you're not leaving until you hear it, alright?" Cronos said calmly, as if he was used to saying stuff like this to people. Cedric could only stare at him in shock.

"Cronos, are you being mean to him?" Carolyn's voice rang out. She and Katie were walking up to them.

Katie rang up and flung her arms around Cedric in a tight hug. "Aww…Poor Cedric got shut down!" She said smiling cheerfully.

"Huh?" Cedric sputtered in shock.

"Mia told us what happened. She couldn't tell Riku, he would've killed you, but she felt she could trust me and Katie enough to tell us." Carolyn said. She smiled gently and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it Cedric." She leaned over and lightly kissed him comfortingly on the cheek, "Just listen to what Cronos has to say to you. He may not look like it, but he's pretty smart."  
  
"Gee thanks!" Cronos huffed. But he smiled at her, and she smiled back.

Carolyn then turned from her usual 'calm-laid-back-sweet-gentle-scared-by-Katie-mode', back into 'no-nonsense-able-to-control-Katie-mode'. She snapped her fingers. "Come Katie." She turned and began to leave.

"RIDE 'EM COWBOY!" Katie screamed suddenly. She jumped up and landed on her friend's shoulders. Carolyn's eyes bugged out. She immediately reverted back into 'calm-laid-back-sweet-gentle-scared-by-Katie-mode'.

"AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Carolyn screamed sprinting forward. "GET IT OFFA ME! GET IT OFFA ME!"

"GIDDIYUP! WHEEEE!" Katie cheered as Carolyn sprinted down the hall and out of sight. "I'M FLYING!"

"That was just disturbing…" Cedric said staring after them in confusion.

"Not to me," Cronos said calmly, "I've known Katie for three years, I've gotten used to it by now. Carolyn will run to Caitlin and they'll pull the munchkin off, no harm done. But that's all besides the point."

"And what is the point?" Cedric growled angrily, "Tell me what you've got to say and then leave. I'm in a mood to crack some skulls right now, and you don't want to get on my bad side."

"Alright, listen." Cronos said suddenly becoming serious, "Do you know what it means to suffer? To have everyone you ever loved, die all around you, until you're completely and totally alone, with only your goals to keep you going?"

"Story of my life." Cedric grumbled.

"Story of MY life." Cronos butted in, surprising Cedric. "About 200 years ago, my mother abandoned me in an orphanage when I was two. I was enrolled in the army when I was five years old. I had NO ONE. And then Aiden started looking out for me. He was a top human solider, in his late thirties about, and he looked upon me like I was his only son. He even LOOKED a lot like me."

"Wait..." Cedric said frowning, "200 years ago? How could this have happened 200 years ago? You're 19!"  
  
"I'm getting to that." Cronos said calmly. "Anyway, Aiden taught me everything he knew. How to fight, how to survive, for the first time in my life, I had a father. And then, it all came screeching to a halt. There was a battle outside the city. You see, I lived in a city above the clouds called 'Faerie City'. Back then, humans were looked down upon as vermin by the faeries. And since I was half-faerie, I had to live with discrimination and hatred my whole childhood. Nowadays, humans are seen as equals and can visit the city freely without having to worry about discrimination. But half-faeries are still looked down on by some people."  
  
"What about this battle you were talking about?" Cedric pressed on. This story was beginning to intrigue him.

"A small army of raiders were trying to break into the city. Our unit had been sent out there to stop them. It was my first real battle, so Aiden warned me to stay near him. But my desire for battle got the best of me and I wandered off to fight on my own." He chuckled. "Only thirteen and I was looking for some shit. But I got into a scuffle with one particularly nasty bandit. Back then, I wasn't the skilled warrior I am today, so he knocked me down easily. Well, just as he rose his sword to make an end of me, Aiden came up behind him and punched him aside. The guy was mowed down to the left and we were sure his neck was broken, because of the way he landed."

Cronos took a swig of water and continued speaking. "But as Aiden knelt down to help me to my feet, the bandit got up, and before anyone could do anything, he swung his sword and took Aiden's head off with one clean swing." Cronos clenched his fist in anger. "There were no dramatic dying words like what you see in the movies. There were no last bits of encouragement from my dad. One second he was alive, and the next he wasn't. After Aiden's head rolled to the ground, the bandit raised his sword again to finish me off too. He didn't care. Aiden was just another solider that got in his way. He didn't care that Aiden was the closest thing to a father I'd ever had. And that thought infuriated me. I felt power...more power than I'd ever felt in my life, boil up inside me, I let in all out in one scream, and suddenly my spirit energy was all over the place. It ripped all the bandits to pieces in fury, but it left the people from my unit unharmed. I looked around and realized something, I HAD SINGLE-HANDEDLY WON A BATTLE. And that thought terrified me. I was afraid of myself..."

Cedric didn't know what to say. He could only stare at Cronos in shock, as he continued his story.

"After Aiden died, I sort of withdrew from life. I focused only on training as hard as I possibly could. I learned how to focus my powers, so I could wield my spirit energy as if it were a weapon. Eventually, war broke out in Faerie City. Soon after Aiden died, the queen, Fiona, had created a relic known as the Chosen One's Jewel. She used its power to bring about a golden age in her kingdom. It was the most powerful, magical item in the universe, so her sister, the Dark Faerie Jhudica, wanted it for herself. It eventually lead to the worst war my world has ever known, The War of Light and Darkness."

Cronos laughed suddenly. "It's been 200 years..." He smirked, "And no one's thought of a better name than The War of Light and Darkness. Now THAT'S stupidity if I ever saw it!"

"Continue the story Cronos," Cedric broke in, "This queen...did she win...or lose?"


	10. Cronos's Backstory Part 2

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Happy and Calm

Rant: Either later today or early tomorrow I'll put up the last past of Cronos's backstory. I got it all typed out yesterday, so I just have to post it. (Peferably a few hours from now, so you won't have to wait very long).

Ah, yesterday was a good day for me. Have you ever had a day when your creative juices just won't stop flowing? Yesterday I got 4 chapters of this fanfic done, I got a chapter for my 'Daughter of Destiny' fanfic done, and I drew 4 drawings. (They didn't come out very good, but hey, I drew something). I must've sat at my computer for six hours just typing. I think I'm getting better at forcing myself to just sit down and write. Last night I fell asleep smiling. I got a lot of work done that I've been meaning to finish for a long time. (Could this mean a new NON-LAZY updates regularly Carolyn? …Nah)

* * *

"The war continued for three years. Both sides reached a stalemate. Fiona didn't have enough troops to completely halt Jhudica's troops, and Jhudica's army couldn't force their way into the city as long as Fiona held the jewel." Cronos sighed. "And that is when I made the stupidest decision of my entire life. All my training had turned me into a cocky little asshole. I thought I could win the war by myself. I stormed Jhudica's tower outside of the city. I was completely alone. I dispatched the guards easily. I reached to tallest room of the tower to where Jhudica waited. And then..." Cronos slammed his fist down on the table. "SHE BRUSHED ME OFF AS IF I WERE AN INSECT!"

"WHAT?!" Cedric exclaimed in shock. That HADN'T been the dramatic plot turn he'd been expecting.

"You heard me." Cronos growled, "All my training did me no good. She was way too powerful. The most powerful witch of her time. She was slinging spells at me so fast I didn't know what hit me. I lay on the ground thinking, 'Well this is it Cronos. You're done for. Time to meet up with Aiden again.'. But she didn't kill me, she dealt me a much crueler fate for my insolence."

Cronos was silent for a few moments as if the memory was too painful to recall. Then he finally spoke up. "She cursed me. She made it so that every six hours I would turn into an Eyrie. I would have to remain an Eyrie for six hours and then I would turn back into myself, and then six hours later I would become an Eyrie again, and so on."

"An Eyrie?" Cedric said frowning. "What's an Eyrie?"

"A creature in our world. It resembles a Griffin in some ways, but there are some differences. But that doesn't matter. Along with my new shape-shifting curse, she made me immortal with eternal youth. That way I would be sixteen forever and live with the shame all eternity. I was already looked down on because I was half-faerie, but a half-faerie cursed in the way I was? My former friends wouldn't even acknowledge my existence."

Cronos was silent again, and for a moment, Cedric thought his story was done, but then Cronos began to speak again. "Fiona found out about what happened and came to see me. I thought she was going to exile me for my stupidity, but she didn't. Instead she took me back to castle with her as her adoptive son. I was stunned. She was the queen of the most powerful kingdom in her world. Why did I matter to her? I still don't know why. But I came to love Fiona as a mother, the same way I had loved Aiden as a father. She was so strong, a little solemn, but extremely kind. She was beautiful too. I was happy again. I felt like everything was going to turn out alright eventually. But tragedy struck."

"What happened?" Cedric asked. This story was taking WAY too long to tell.

"Fiona's husband had died around the same time Aiden had. I later found out that AIDEN was her husband. I don't know what the king was doing looking out for me in the army, but he was dead now. Fiona had a daughter from her marriage with Aiden. Her name was Selene, she was about two years younger than me, and I looked upon her as a little sister. Fiona was now engaged to a warlock named Frederick Sloth. From the very beginning, I hated that bastard. There was just something about him that I disliked. Selene hated him too, but Fiona practically worshipped the ground he walked on. She was happy with him, so I really couldn't complain."

Cronos took another swig of water. This was a long story, and his throat was beginning to dry out. "The final battle of the war broke out. Jhudica's troops managed to force their way into the city. The bloodiest battle began. All four of us were out on the battlefield that day. Me, Fiona, Selene, and Frederick. We all fought for the freedom of the city, but one of us had a hidden agenda."  
  
"Frederick." Cedric said flatly.

Cronos nodded. "Fiona had the jewel on her that day. She was a master archer who could shoot enchanted arrows. (Remind you of anyone? (cough)Carolyn(cough) If she wanted, she could've shot the fleas off a dog's back from 200 yards. With her help, we finally began to push back Jhudica's troops. We won the war; Jhudica's army was almost wiped out. But just as the final foe retreated, disaster struck." Cronos clenched his fist in raw hatred. "FREDERICK." He said the warlock's name like it was a foul poison. "Frederick came up behind Fiona, and sliced her back open with his sword. It was a deep wound that focused mainly around her right shoulder. Frederick's sword is magic, its made of a deadly poison, created from his own evil aura. If it so much as NICKS you, you'll burst into flames and die instantly. But Fiona was a powerful faerie, so she didn't die instantly. She was left to writhe in pain on the ground. Fredrick stole the jewel from her. He showed no remorse, in fact, HE EXPRESSED JOY AT HER TORMENT!"

Cedric shook his head. He felt sickened.

"I went ballistic at this," Cronos hissed, "She trusted him, she loved him, and he betrayed her. HE KILLED HER! I went into blind fury and attacked, but Fredrick had the jewel, so I was no match for him He knocked me to the side and sort of toyed with me. Like a cat toys with a mouse before it kills it. He would've killed me too, if it hadn't been for Fiona. She summoned up the last ounce of her strength and stood up. She fired an arrow at him. Hit him right in the heart. He turned into a stone amulet, that his soul was sealed up in for all eternity."  
  
"Then what happened?" Cedric breathed. This story was so intriguing...he had to know how it ended.

"Near death, Fiona called me and Selene to her side. She told Selene to shatter the Chosen One's Jewel into three pieces and scatter them, so that its power could never be used for evil again. She then told me to seek out her reincarnation and protect her so that she could protect the jewel from evil again. I could only watch speechless. The kindest, most gentle, beautiful person in the world was dying right before my eyes, and all I could do was hold her hand and cry like a baby. And she died right there."


	11. Cronos's Backstory Part 3

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Bored

Rant: I bought the first half of the anime 'Ceres, the Celestial Legend' at ACEN this year. It's excellent anime, even though the voices need some work. If you like anime, I would highly recommend it. Since it's so addicting, I'm just going to hum some of the ending theme that's been trapped in my head. '_ Kaze ni nare kazoekirenu _Distress_ ore ga dakitomeru omae no _Loneliness_ ore-tachi wa tsugai no kaze _Oneness_ kono yo ga hatete mo hanarenai…' _Heh, I'm such an otaku. 

* * *

Cedric didn't know what to say. Cronos had so much inner turmoil, just like him. Earlier, he'd barely known Cronos; he hadn't known what to think of him. But now Cronos had bared his soul to him, and Cedric felt like he could understand what he was going through.

"After Fiona was cremated, Selene did what she had asked and scattered the jewel fragments. I left Faerie City and went on a journey. For 200 hundred years I wandered, searching for the one that Fiona was reborn into. I never got any older, but my soul turned to ice. Only the memory of Fiona kept me going. Finally, I found her. Finally, I found Carolyn."

"Carolyn's a reincarnated Faerie Queen?" Cedric asked thunderstruck.

"How else do you explain her ability to use the Omega Arrow?" Cronos asked, "When I first found her, Carolyn had already found the jewel fragments and restored it to its original form. At first I was overjoyed. I thought she would be like Fiona in every single way. I thought it would be just like Fiona had come back to life. But it wasn't. Carolyn had no memories of her past life. And her eye and hair color is different than Fiona's, but they still look very similar. And while Fiona was extremely mature and elegant, Carolyn was...well...a little childish in comparison. I suppose I resented her for not being exactly like Fiona. I was very cold to Carolyn at first. She tried to become friends with me, she tried to act like she could understand me. And I hated her for that. I kept my curse a secret from her as long as I could, but she found out about it eventually. But instead of shunning me like I thought she would, she did something I never expected."  
  
"What was that?"

"She accepted me. She didn't pity me, but she treated me as an equal. Like Fiona had. That's when I saw the similarities between them. Carolyn is her own person. Fiona is gone forever, I finally came to terms with that. But I felt like I could maybe get a little close to Carolyn. And I think that's why I fell in love with her. I fell in love with Carolyn because she's CAROLYN not because she used to be Fiona. She has Fiona's soul, but they're two different people. I've accepted that, and I'm happy. Carolyn used the jewel to break my curse, so I'm aging at a regular rate again. Even though I'm half-faerie, I feel like a normal teenager. All her other guardians are my friends, and I finally got the nerve to tell Carolyn how I felt, and it turned out she felt the same. That's my life. Complicated, huh?"

"Very," Cedric said nodding, "But what does this have to do with me?"

"No matter how awful your life gets," Cronos said flatly, "No matter how terrible and hopeless everything may seem, there is always someone with problems worse than yours. Always. And if you just try to fight the pain, you can find the light at the end of the tunnel. And don't try to tell me there isn't one, because there is. I found my light, her name is Carolyn, and you'll find yours if you just keep trying."  
  
"But..." Cedric sputtered. "What do I do about Mia?"

"Apologize to her," Cronos said calmly, "Accept the fact that she can never be yours. She's already found the person she wants to spend her life with. But that's no reason you can't care about her. Be a friend to her. Help her when she needs it, but you need to learn to let go. And that's all I'm saying." He stood up and sighed. "I sure do ramble when I'm around you people. I don't get all emotional like this often, but when I do, sometimes good advice comes out. And now if you'll excuse me, my throat hurts." He turned and left.

Cedric was silent. He sat there for a few minutes, pondering these words. Cronos had suffered much more and much longer than he had. And yet, Cronos had still found happiness. So Cedric could assume that he knew what he was talking about.

As Cedric got up, he found he felt considerably better.


	12. Ceremony Preperation

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Calm

Rant: This chapter is late, due to my inability to get on the computer these last few days. I used my free time to catch up on some (tiny gasp of horror) reading. I finally read the first 'Artemis Fowl' book. I also started reading a book called 'On Writing' by Stephen King himself. Excellent book. If you want to become an author someday, I strongly encourage reading it. It gives invaluable tips and revealed many amateur mistakes that I was making. (looks at copy of novel sitting on hard drive and vomits in disgust) Must…rewrite…

* * *

Mia sat on the side of her bed. Her heart was troubled as she thought about the moral dilemma she had on her hands.

"Cedric must be mad at me," She thought sadly. "I was so cold to him..." She got up and walked into the hallway. "What should I do? Cedric is my friend, and I don't want to hurt him. But I can't pretend that I care about him that way. It's not fair to Riku, and it's not fair to Cedric either."  
  
At that moment, Carolyn came sprinting down the hallway. Katie was riding on her back and yanking on her hair to steer. Carolyn was screaming and trying to throw Katie off. Caitlin was chasing them and shouting at them.

"DAMN IT CAROLYN!" Caitlin screamed. "I CAN'T PULL HER OFF UNLESS YOU STOP!"

"THAT'S EASY FOR YOU TO SAY!!" Carolyn shrieked.

The three best friends sprinted past her. Mia sighed. "Those three are lucky. They don't have this kind of stuff to deal with. Katie seems to be enjoying herself...of course that doesn't take much..."

Suddenly Mia found herself face-to-face with someone else walking down the hallway. Cedric's eyes widened in surprise when he saw her.

"OH CRAP!" Mia thought frantically, "WHADDAL I DO?! WHADDAL I DO?!"

"Hi." Cedric said flatly. Then he continued to walk past her as if he hadn't even seen her.

"'Hi?!'" Mia thought in shock, "That's it?!" She turned around nervously. "Where are you going?" She asked out loud.

Cedric answered without even turning to face her. "Raphael wanted to show me how the preparations for the ceremony are coming. I haven't had a moment to come see yet, so I'm doing that now." He continued to walk forward without another word to her.

"What's going on?" Mia thought frowning, "Is he too embarrassed to even mention last night?" She sighed and shook her head. "Man, he confuses me so much."

Raphael nodded as Cassius and Marcus slid a large metal urn into place. "That's perfect." He turned towards Riku, Sora, and Cedric. "The preparations for the ceremony are coming along well."  
  
They stood in a large hall. The walls were decked in pictures of different stars and constellations. There was a long red carpet leading from the entrance to the room, up to the base of the large urn. The sides of the carpet were lined with large torches. The area around the urn was large and circular. The urn itself rested on a platform a few feet off the ground. Behind the urn, was a large, black, pulsing orb sticking out of the wall. It looked partially broken.

"Where'd all this detail come from?" Riku asked in awe as he surveyed the room.

"What exactly happens at the ceremony?" Sora asked.

Raphael shrugged. "Well, to put it simply, it goes like this. The three Pure-Hearts enter from there." He pointed at the entrance to the room. "Everyone else is to already be assembled in the room. The three of them go up on the platform and surround the urn. The urn will have a sacred fire burning in it on the day of the actual ceremony. The three of them will say the mystical chant that will reveal the wound in the middle of the seal," He nodded towards the orb in the wall, "Then the three Keyblade-Masters, that's you, will use the keyblades to begin sealing the break in the seal. The Pure-Hearts will then drain their energy simultaneously to aid in the repair of the seal. And then its over and the ceremony is finished." Raphael said all this as if it should be obvious.

"We have to drain all our energy?!" Riku yelled.

"Yes. You'll all feel a little tired afterwards, but its nothing a little sleep won't fix."

"But that means we'll be defenseless!" Cedric cried. "If someone attacked us, we'd be annihilated!"

Tira came up to them. "Calm down. Who's going to attack you while you're here? All the people here are skilled warriors, and they'll all be guarding you. No one will be able to get within a mile of you. You'll all be fine."

After clearing up a few more things with Raphael and hammering out the details of what they were required to do at the ceremony, the three boys turned to leave the room. But Cedric stopped when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He turned and saw Tira staring at him. She was blushing slightly.

"What?" He asked.

"Can..." She stammered, "Can you teach me to fence?"

Cedric hadn't been expecting that. "F-Fence? But you don't need to know do you? You're a sorceress..."

"I've wanted to learn for a long time," Tira explained, "And I figured I should ask since you won't be here very long."  
  
"Yes...but..." Cedric stammered.

"May I have your answer?" Tira asked. "Please teach me how to fence."  
  
"Tira!" Raphael snapped, "Don't be so rude!"  
  
"I wasn't asking YOU, brother." Tira said coolly. But her cheeks were still red from blushing slightly. "Cedric, what is your answer?"

Cedric was quiet for moment as he thought. He recalled what Cronos had said about letting go of Mia. Maybe giving Tira fencing lessons, would take his mind off her. "A-Alright. If you really want to learn how to fence, I suppose I could teach you."

Tira's eyes brightened. "Great! How about I meet you later tonight at the balcony overlooking Interspace, for my first lesson?"  
  
"Okay..."  
  
"Thanks!" Tira said brightly. "I'll see you there later then. Bye!" She turned and hurried off.

Raphael sighed. "Forgive Tira. She's wanted to learn how to sword fight for a long time. But I never have enough time to teach her."  
  
Cedric sighed. "Great." He thought. "What did I just get myself into?"


	13. Sisterly Advice

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Calm

Rant: A note to 'aliasfan', I never got your email about 'Artimis Fowl'. My spam filter must be acting up again. So I'm not just rude for not responding. Try to send it to me again. 

* * *

Tira walked down the hall. She rounded a corner and waited for a moment. When she was sure no one was coming, she breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Phew. I finally asked him. I never would've forgiven myself if I'd let him leave without asking him first."

"Nice one, Tira." A voice called out suddenly. "I didn't think you had it in you!"

At that moment, Carolyn, Katie, and Caitlin came up to her. Carolyn was rubbing her scalp, which was still sore after her little 'episode' with Katie.

"W-What do you mean?" Tira managed to stammer.

"Yeah, what do you guys mean?" Katie asked. Her face wore a clueless expression.

Carolyn sighed. "What do you _think_?"

Katie thought for a moment, then she snapped her fingers. "Slipknot's a great band?"  
  
"Besides that."

"Jessica Simpson is an idiotic fake, that doesn't deserve anything that she's been given?"  
  
"Besides _that_." Caitlin snapped. The two smarter members of 'The Trio' were getting pissed off.

Katie thought for another couple of seconds, then she shrugged. "I think Tira's got a crush on Cedric, and those fencing lessons are just an excuse to see him."

"I THINK WE'VE MADE A BREAK-THROUGH!" Carolyn cheered.

"She'll be back to normal come nightfall." Caitlin sighed.

"I forgot what we were talking about!" Katie beamed. "Sure sounds important!"

"Will you stop talking about me as if I'm not here?" Tira snapped. She sighed. "And the lessons are NOT an excuse to see Cedric."  
  
"Oh really?" Caitlin said. She wore a sly smile. "Then why were you blushing when you asked him?"

"B-Blushing?" Tira squeaked.

"Don't deny it!" Carolyn said pointing accusingly at her with a triumphant smile on her face. "We saw you. You were gazing at him like a dreamy little school-girl!"

Tira's blush had returned. "Look, I do NOT have a crush on Cedric. I don't know why you keep bothering me about it. I feel a little bad for him though." Her face changed to contain a hint of sadness. "He sees no other girl but Mia. But she's in love with someone else, it's really kind of sad. Even if I DID have crush on him, hypothetically speaking, he can't get over her."  
  
"Actually, something like this could be the best thing for Cedric right now." Caitlin said.

"Huh?"  
  
"According to Riku, Cedric's been in a depressed rut for three years. You and him seem like a cute couple; maybe you could try and give him a push in the right direction. Help him get over Mia, you know?" Carolyn said smiling. She grinned. "I think you should go for it! Otherwise you might regret it!"  
  
"…Maybe…" Tira whispered.

"Just as long as it doesn't become a dragged out 'confused-odd-couple-not-sure-how-they-feel-about-each-other' like how Carolyn and Cronos were/are." Katie chimed in.

Carolyn blushed angrily. "What is THAT supposed to mean?"

"Oh come off it!" Caitlin said rolling her eyes. "You knew Cronos for almost eight months before you realized you loved him! He knew he loved you after six months, but both of you were too SHY to tell each other! You waited to the last minute to tell him, right before he went on that 'suicide' mission!"

"Don't you EVER bring that up again!" Carolyn snarled. Her eyes were blazing.

"Lots of crying there." Caitlin went on, "You kissed ONCE, then he ran off and we were all sure he died. But then after five minutes of crying, he runs back to us, almost unscathed from the explosion. And then after the battle, YOU almost died! And you've been going out for three years since! Jeezy creezy! That was a stormy courtship if I ever saw one!"

"I said SHUT UP!" Carolyn snapped.

"Why should I?"  
  
Carolyn slammed her fist into the wall making a huge dent in the stone. Her eyes were glowing with demonic rage. "ARE YOU THE LEADER OF 'THE TRIO' OR AM I?!"

"Eep." Caitlin squeaked.

"Oh!" Katie said jumping up and down with her hand raised. "It's Carolyn! Carolyn's the leader!"

"Very good Katie!" Carolyn said as if she was an owner addressing her dog after it had preformed a complicated trick. "Here, have a cookie!" She fished into her pocket and fished out a small cookie. She tossed it to Katie, who caught it in her mouth.

"I don't know why she's the leader." Caitlin grumbled to Tira. "I'm older, smarter, and have the longest hair! Plus I'm the smartest."

Katie, being the total idiot, always knows truth from lies. She coughed. Caitlin glared at her.

"It's because I'm only human who can successfully control Katie." Carolyn stated, "And if you didn't listen to me, I'd have her make your life a living hell."

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that." Caitlin grumbled.

"Well, see you around Tira!" Carolyn said as the three friends turned and walked down the hall. "And don't forget what we talked about."

"I won't," Tira whispered, "I won't."


	14. Lesson One

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Calm

Rant: Can anyone tell me how to post links in chapters? I want to post a link to the picture of Katie, Caitlin, and me cosplaying, but for some reason, fanfiction's upload thing is being a pain about it, so some advice would be MUCH appreciated. I also have an interesting story to tell about my adventures (or should I say, MISadventures) at Acen (the anime convention). We were sitting in the artist alley. It had been a long day of shopping and we were all sitting against the wall with our bags of swag. We had bought TONS of art from the excellent artists who had set up shop there, and we were now taking a break. I was just looking over my 'Ceres: The Celestial Legend' DVD box, when my stomach growled loudly. We were all starved. I mean REALLY starved. We hadn't eaten anything all DAY. The lounge with all the snacks was too far away for our tired little feet. (It was all the way on the other side of the building). Caitlin went off to see if she could beg some pocky (a tasty Japanese snack) from someone. Katie and me were left to draw in our sketchbooks and listen to our stomachs growl. At that moment, some artists at the table next to us announced to everyone that they had ordered WAY too much Chinese food. They were giving away their leftovers! My stomach danced a jig of joy. Needless to say, Katie and me were the first ones up there. In fact, hardly anyone else came up, so more for us! Caitlin came back with no pocky, looking tired, depressed, and most of all, HUNGRY. She saw Katie and me munching happily on dinner. After much pleading, we laughed and gave her some food. I especially loved the sweet and sour chicken… I will forever be grateful to the artists who gave us some dinner that day. Okay, enough of my rant. I'll tell you some more stories about the con later. Enjoy the chappie. 

That night, Cedric waited by the balcony; he leaned back lazily against the railing. He clutched his keyblade in his left hand. He hoped that Tira would bring her own sword; he had forgotten to get an extra one from the weapons room.

He wondered why Tira had chosen such an odd spot for the lesson. This is where he had kissed Mia yesterday. He didn't want to be here; it reminded him of the stupid move he had made.

When he had spotted Mia in the hallway, he had wanted to apologize. After Cronos's pep talk, he had made up his mind to say he was sorry about what had happened, but when he had actually seen her, he had seen the panic in her eyes. At that moment, all his courage had fled him. He had walked right on by.

At that moment, he heard footsteps. The grip on his sword tightened instinctively, but it relaxed when he realized it was Tira. To his relief, she had brought her own blade. He straightened up.

"Ready?" He asked. She nodded in response. He held his sword in both hands in front of him. "Okay, first I'm going to teach you how to parry, alright?"

Tira nodded again. Cedric stepped back slightly as she drew her sword. "Alright," He said, "Come and try to hit me."

Tira ran at him, and gave her sword a weak swing. Cedric held up his sword, stopping Tira's blade easily. He then swung his sword in a circle motion. He flipped her sword up into the air, where it clattered to the side. He smiled and pointed his blade playfully at her throat. "You're dead, Tira."  
  
She picked up her sword. As she did so, Cedric instructed her. "You have to expect things like that. You have to keep your grip on the sword."

"Alright," Tira said, "I'll try that again. Let's see if you can knock it out of my hands this time!" She swung her blade again. This time it was more forceful that her first swipe. It struck Cedric's blade. He turned his sword in a circular motion once again, but this time Tira held on tight. She jumped back and out of his blade's range.

"You catch on quick." Cedric said nodding with approval. She grinned. "You knew to step back and out of the blade's path. Otherwise, I would've been free to stab you in the stomach."

Tira gripped her sword tightly in both hands. "I'm not a fool. Teach me more blocks."  
  
For the next couple of hours, the two of them practiced different kinds of parries. They also trained with footwork, dodging, and ducking. At one point, when Cedric was teaching her how to jump over an opponent's blade when they swing at your legs, Tira wasn't quick enough. Cedric stopped his sword right next to her legs. He smiled and tapped her with his sword. "You're legs are gone. So far you've lost both your arms, an eye, your legs, and your nose." He joked, "And yet you haven't given up. Remarkable."

Tira laughed and wiped the sweat off her forehead. In reality, Cedric had been a very careful teacher. He had always been in complete control of his blade; always stopping it before it came close to causing any damage.

"Alright," Tira breathed. It was clear she was exhausted, "You've taught me how to defend and dodge, now teach me how to attack."

Cedric smiled and shook his head. "Tomorrow. It's clear that you're tired, and I'm growing weary myself." He leaned against the balcony railing again. Tira did the same.

"You're very skilled with a blade," Cedric commented, "Are you sure you haven't used one before?"  
  
"Well, once when I was younger." Tira said shrugging, "But I just swung it around, I had no clue what I was doing. I accidentally cut myself on the hand with it." She held up her right hand. A very thin, faint scar was visible on the back.

Tira tilted her head back. She looked up past the ceiling, and out at the open sky. It was so peaceful. Suddenly Carolyn's words snapped through her mind, jerking her back to reality.

Go for it.

"Hey, Cedric?" Tira asked. She had to clear something up with him before she could even try. "Do you..." She sighed. Her eyes drifted to the side. "Do you like Mia?"

"Eh?" Cedric said spinning around. His eyes were shocked and a blush was already beginning to form.

"Do you like her?" Tira asked.

Cedric was stunned. All day he'd been focused on following Cronos's advice. He'd thought these lessons would take his mind off Mia, now they were throwing it back in his face. "Well...I don't...I mean..."

"Be more decisive!" Tira said firmly, "How is anyone going to know what you're thinking if you keep it bottled up like that?"

"Okay! Okay!" Cedric said defensively. "I do like her... I mean... I can't help it." His eyes sort of drifted off as he spoke. "She's very pretty, she's nice, my stomach goes into knots every time I see her. I really do love her." He smiled sort of sadly. "Stupid, huh? I haven't got a chance; she loves Riku. Not me. Never me. But...she's still nice to think about I guess."

"C-Cedric..." Tira whispered. She was staring at him in a new viewpoint now. "You...You shouldn't think like that..."

"It's the truth." Cedric sighed. "Mia's shown that to me many times, like when-"

"Like last night when you kissed her and she slapped you." Tira said flatly.

Cedric mouth literally dropped. "W-What?! You saw?! You spied on me?!"

"I wasn't spying," Tira snapped. "I live here. I take walks around there every night. I came by and saw you talking. I was just about to leave when I saw you kiss her and she slapped you."

Cedric felt his face redden. He couldn't believe Tira had seen him in his moment of weakness. He silently kicked himself; why did SHE have to see it?

"Are you going to apologize to her?" Tira asked, "No offense, but that was pretty low."

Cedric shrugged. "I don't know. I tried to earlier today, but I couldn't. I can't face her. I try t look at her as my friend, and the girl who's going to marry Riku. But I keep seeing the woman I love, inside."

Tira smiled. Cedric was stunned. Her smile was so pretty. She appeared happy, but her eyes looked sad, like there was something deep tugging at her heartstrings.

"Doesn't that make you a little dishonest?" She asked. "Keeping your feelings bottled up like that?"

She didn't let him answer. "I'll come by around the same time tomorrow night for my next lesson. Good night Cedric." She turned and left.

Cedric stared after her and sighed. "Dishonest? She may be right…"


	15. Blood Dreams

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Happy

Rant: I'm planning on putting a poll in my comment section. That means you'll be able to voice your opinions on differend topic in my story. (Like which of my original male characters is cutest ) Only problem is, I don't want this story to get deleted. I'm trying to figure out if it's against any rules or not. 

Don't look at me like that. I know I'm strange.

I put up a link to my cosplay picture in my profile. Go see it, comment it, love it. I also added my current projects and my future projects to my biography, so you can see what I have planned. Enjoy!

And just to tell you, a good portion of this chapter is a **NIGHTMARE SEQUENCE.** There's some extreme violence ahead. You have been warned. And no, I'm not a violent sicko. In fact, I get very queasy at the sight of real blood.

Once again, you've been warned. GET OUT WHILE THERE'S STILL TIME!!!

(And does anyone know where I can find an online script for the 'Lord of the Rings' movies?)

* * *

_Blood… _

_He could sense it everywhere. Everything around him was covered with it. It covered his hands as he gripped his keyblade by the handle. The stench of death was so strong he could smell the blood that caked the walls. It made it want to vomit, but at the same time, it made him feel alive._

_More death…more blood…_

_"HOLD IT!" A voice shouted, breaking through the darkness._

_Riku spun around. Sora stood there. But his face was a mask of anger. He was holding his keyblade, and glaring at him with fury._

_"This massacre ends here, Riku." Sora snarled. Riku just chuckled. He spread his arms._

_"Come finish me then, my dear friend!"_

_Sora darted at him. Riku only continued to smile. There was blood everywhere, and Sora was too stupid to see it! He deserved death._

_As Sora neared him, Riku easily stepped to the side. He brought the blade out and thrust it forward in a powerful stab. It went clean through Sora's stomach. Sora's body stopped, almost at the hilt of the sword. Blood poured from his mouth as he stared at Riku in horror. Riku only sneered triumphantly. Sora gave a groan and fell forward weakly. Riku pulled him off his blade. He wiped the blood off with his hand._

_Riku then started down the hall. Pitiful. Nothing mattered to him but to kill. And he would kill all he needed._

_Riku stopped. Cronos was waiting. He was caked in blood, just like everything else. But his eyes were off. It seemed the colors had swapped places. His pupils were red, and the iris looked black. He held his sword in his hand. He had been leaning against the blood-soaked wall. His mighty battle aura was sparking to life around him._

_But instead of leaping forward to attack him, Cronos nodded. "Go on. You've finished off one pure-heart, get the last one. I'll deal with the kidnapping." With those words, Cronos straightened up and glared at him. "What are you waiting for? Go finish it!" With those words, he turned and zipped down the hall. He moved so fast he was invisible._

_Riku was puzzled. Cronos's voice had seemed off, like someone else had been speaking for him. His aura had seemed almost demonic. Something was off about him._

_But then he shook his head. Of course, how could he have forgotten the mission! He had taken out that brat, Katie easily. She had slung plenty of arcane spells at him as he approached. But he didn't need to worry about that. His dark powers easily shielded him from such attacks. Sam had tried to stop him, but it hadn't done much. He had slain both of them easily._

_As he approached the door, he found someone else blocking his way. He was staring at Riku with a look of deep revulsion. He hated those cat-like eyes. He wanted to gouge them out, but he would do it later._

_"Move." Riku barked._

_Cedric shook his head. "Never."  
  
"I SAID MOVE, DAMN YOU!" Riku roared._

_"I can't allow you to continue this. If you wish to get to her, you will have to go through me Riku!" He drew his keyblade._

_"Feh," Riku smirked, "Fine."_

_Cedric didn't waste any time. He lunged at him. His anger was almost animal-like. Their blades clashed, sending a shower of sparks scattering across the floor. Cedric started to push him back._

_"How could you?!" Cedric roared. "How could you butcher your friends like that?!"  
  
_

_"Friends?" Riku snarled "What a joke!" He pushed Cedric back. He swung his keyblade. Cedric dodged it. He leapt forward and stabbed Riku in the chest, just above his heart. Riku howled with rage._

_Cedric jumped up, ready to strike again. But this time, Riku was prepared. He jabbed his sword up and forward, right through Cedric's lower chest. The young prince froze. His whole body stiffened up. As blood oozed from his mouth, he tilted back and fell to the floor. Riku looked down on his former rival. He could feel no pity, only murderous rage._

_"P-Please Riku…" Cedric grimaced through his pain, "For the love of God Riku, don't hurt her…"_

_Riku ignored his words. He brought his sword down in a powerful stab. This one went right through Cedric's heart. Cedric spat out a mouthful of blood, cursed Riku's name, and collapsed dead._

_Riku calmly pushed Cedric's body out of his way with his foot. "I told you to move." He said coolly. With that, he pushed open the door and walked inside._

_Mia was standing there, backed up against the wall. She had heard the sounds of a fight just outside her door. Tear of fear, and grief spilled down her face._

_"Riku please," She whispered, "Don't do this…"  
  
For moment, his resolve wavered. For the briefest sliver of time, he would've rather dropped his sword and pulled her into his arms, than harm her. For the smallest span of a second, Riku was himself again._

_Then the darkness reentered. The glow of malice returned to his eyes. He smiled his twisted smile. He raised his sword, as something in the back of his mind screamed 'DON'T DO IT!' He ignored it. Mia screamed and shielded her face as Riku brought his sword down._

_Blood splattered, covering him as she slumped to the ground; her eyes as blank as starless night._

Riku jolted awake. Sweat and tears poured down his face. "MIA!" He screamed in panic. He then glanced about his room, and realized no one was there. A nightmare; that was all.


	16. The Possessed

Carolyn's Comments: Oh my God. I am SO SORRY!!! I haven't updated in...(looks at calendar and screams)

I've got reasons though. If you're interested in my excuses, then read 'em, if you don't really give a shit, just skip down to the next chapter. Sorry if my long rants bore you guys, but I need someone to whine to!

Here's my recap from the three weeks from hell:

1. My family and I drove from Illinois to Florida right after the first hurricane hit. Lots of wanton destruction. It was actually a fun vacation. I planned to put a new chapter up before I left, but I never got around to it. I figured I would write one when I got home. I figured I would have plenty of time, right? Wrong.

2. I miscalculated the date we got home. We got back home two days before school started. I figured I use that time to write the chappie. Then Katie called me, saying that her, Caitlin, and me should have one last sleepover before summer ended. Seemed like a good idea, so I agreed. We wound up staying up all night, and I spent the day I had set aside for writing, catching up on sleep.

3. School started. I can hardly be blamed for not writing those first few days of getting used to my schedule.

4. The new 'Cirque Du Freak' book 'Allies of the Night' came out. I dropped everything I was doing at the time and read it.

5. Just as I was sitting down to write, Katie called me in an excited mood. It turned out that in the middle of the night A SMALL FRIGGING TORNADO had appeared in her backyard. (That could only happen to Katie) It uprooted a huge tree in her backyard, and totaled her dad's car. Needless to say, I rushed over there to check out the damage.

6. Minor family problems.

7. Then, just when I had everything under control, when I thought everything had settled back to normal, when I thought I could finally start writing again, I came down with a bad cold. Not just one of those colds where you cough and sneeze every now and then, I'm talking about one helluva nasty cold. It felt like someone pumped my sinuses with raw acid. I spent the entire weekend in bed, wondering when God was going to stop messing around and just end it. In fact, I'm still recovering from it a little, but it's not nearly as bad as it was.

See what I go through for you people?! (Just kiddin'. Seriously I love you guys...)

* * *

The next day seemed to drag on forever. Mia, Carolyn, and Katie were frantically preparing for the ceremony. Katie was meditating in a corner, chanting random mantras, such as 'I am one with the duck'. Carolyn had locked herself in her room with a copy of the magic spell she needed to read, with the vow that she wouldn't come out until she knew it backwards and forwards. Mia was studying quietly at one of the tables in the hall.

Everyone seemed worn and tired. Caitlin kept muttering something about werewolves and then took a nap, Alex was too tired to hit on Tira or Cassandra so he sat down and started reading 'Winning Fangirls for Dummies', Sam got bored and tried to snap Katie out of her trance, but then she bit his hand, and Cronos was moping around the weapons room, looking at the stock.

Cronos eyed the numerous racks of scimitars, battle-axes, spears, and countless other weapons. Not bad, he'd seen more in the armory of Faerie City, but this weapon collection was still impressive.

He lifted a short sword up from the shelf and gave it a casual swing. He sighed; the balance was off in this one. He placed it back on the shelf and picked up another one. He smiled; this one was better he gave it a few more swings before holding it up to examine it. His reflection shone in the steel blade.

It was a fairly good weapon; not that he needed it. If need be, he could be his own weapon. Years of experience in the field had given him a keen sense of weapons. He could detect flaws in them just by holding them. He didn't need this short sword, but he knew that whoever got to wield it next would be fortunate.

_It's a good weapon to kill someone with, don't you agree boy?_

Cronos stopped. That last thought… that last thought was not his own.

A good sword to slit someone's throat, like your pretty little girlfriend's, don't you think? 

Cronos froze. He felt someone reaching out into his thoughts, like a sinister claw wrapping tightly around his mind. He gasped with pain. The sword fell from his hand and clattered as it struck the ground. He staggered to the wall and propped himself up with his hand.

"Damnit Fredrick!" He screamed grasping his forehead with his other hand, "Get out of my head!"

Get the sword Cronos. Kill the girl with it. See her blood run as Fiona's did that day. Experience the pleasure it gave me to see her die.

Cronos pulled at his hair, trying to silence the voice. Suddenly his body was moving on its own. He was on his hands and knees, crawling towards the weapon on the floor. His body shook as he struggled to fight against the invisible force that had seized control of him. Just as his hand reached for the sword's handle, he wrested back control of his right hand. He swung his fist, and struck himself in the side of the face. An explosion seemed to go off in his head. His head reeled back and he saw stars as his head hit the floor. He felt the grip fall away from his mind. His breaths became even again. There was something about his breathing that seemed to say that it was his; it felt as if a clamp had been released from his lungs.

Then he heard it again; that hideous voice that haunted his nightmares and continued to torment his life.

You can't beat me Cronos. I'm inside of you. I live in your thoughts. I'm always hiding just behind your mind. I'll wait here, biding my time. Then I'll reclaim Fiona, I'll reclaim my bride.

Cronos could hear the warlock's evil laugh, echoing around the inside of his skull. He felt the dizziness from his punch to the face beginning to take hold. The world became black as Fredrick's cold chuckle faded into the back of his mind.

That was how Raphael found him, fifteen minutes later.

Carolyn was in deep concentration on the scroll before her. It was an old bit of parchment, and it was written in an ancient language. Fortunately, she knew some of it. Back in her world, the current queen of Faerie City, Fyora, had taught her a few things. Fyora was a good friend of hers; she was also Fiona's great-great-great-granddaughter. Fyora regarded Carolyn as the little sister she'd never had. Fyora had taught her the very basics of the language in front of her. She said it was used universally throughout the different worlds and dimensions. Using this simple knowledge, Carolyn was able to decipher the basic elements of the spell.

She was interrupted by a pounding on her door.

"I'm studying!" She called. "Come back later!"

"Carolyn?" Raphael's voice called. He sounded alarmed.

"What is it?" She sighed turning away from the scroll.

"It's Cronos! Something's wrong with him!"  
  
That was enough for Carolyn. She quickly got to her feet and hurried to the door. She unbolted it and pushed it open. Raphael was standing there, his face looked grim.

"What's going on?" Carolyn asked. "What's wrong with Cronos?"

"I was hoping you could tell me. I found him curled up on the floor in the armory. His face is messed up pretty bad. He wants to talk to you."

Carolyn followed Raphael down the hall. Her heart was pounding. What was going on? Had Cronos been attacked? Who would want to attack him out here? It didn't make any sense.

They entered Cronos's room. The young half-faerie was sitting up in bed, holding an ice pack to the left side of his face. Carolyn could see a black eye forming, and there was a huge bruise on his cheek. It was sickening purple and red color.

"Cronos!" Carolyn screamed. She ran to him. "What happened? Who did this to you?"

"Describe your attacker," Raphael said, "He may still be in the temple; we can hunt him down!"

Cronos chuckled and lowered the ice pack. Carolyn was shocked at the size of the bruise on his face. It trailed all the way down to just above his chin.

"I know who attacked me. I can give you his name right now."

"Who?" Raphael asked anxiously.

Cronos smiled thinly. "It was me."

Raphael blinked at him. "You? I don't understand. What-"

But Carolyn understood. She lowered her head. "Fredrick?" She whispered softly.

Cronos nodded. Raphael's eyes widened.

"Fredrick? But he's been dead for-"

"200 years, I know." Cronos said calmly. "Listen, we'll explain it to you later, I need to talk to Carolyn."

Raphael didn't move. "I'm not leaving. What's going on here? I need to know, I have a _right _to know."

Cronos looked up at him. From his look, it was obvious that he wasn't going to explain it all at that moment. "Here's the short version: I'm possessed. Does that answer your question? Now I'd like to talk to Carolyn, please get lost."

Raphael stared him. He seemed to hesitate, then decided against it. He turned and left the room, pondering this new turn of events.

Carolyn pointed at the welt on his face. "Does it hurt?"

Cronos shook his head. "Not much. I got myself good that time. It'll be gone by the day of the ceremony."

"What was he trying to make you do?" Carolyn asked. Her voice was shaky.

"Trying to make me kill people, as usual." Cronos sighed. "It's really hard to believe. He followed me all the way into this world. He just enjoys making me suffer. He doesn't care that I have to witness every horrible thing he makes me do."  
  
"Cronos…" Carolyn sighed. She wasn't sure what to say.

Cronos laughed bitterly. "Some guardian I am, huh? I'm supposed to be protecting you, yet the one person who I'm supposed to protect you from, can manipulate me like a puppet. I honestly don't know why you put up with me."

"Cronos! Stop talking like that!" Carolyn yelled. "What Fredrick does isn't your fault! You shouldn't feel guilty; if it's anyone's fault, it's HIS! It's his fault all this happened! If he hadn't done all that shit, if he hadn't killed Fiona, if he hadn't let the jewel corrupt him…" Her voice trailed off. Her fingers flew to the jewel. The small yellow gem hung from a chain around her neck.

A world of ifs…and none of it made any difference.

Cronos looked at her, then nodded. "Thank you. Carolyn, you always know how to cheer me up when these things happen."  
  
Carolyn smiled a little. "Well-" She was interrupted when Cronos pulled her into a tight hug.

"I love you, Carolyn." He murmured.

Carolyn nodded and hugged him back as tears began to spill down her face. "I love you too, Cronos."


	17. Son of the King

Carolyn's Comments:

I saw 'Shaun of the Dead' this week. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen, second only to 'Napolean Dynamite'. If you like zombies and you like to laugh SEE IT!

**IMPORTANT NEWS! **Remember when I asked for a script for 'Lord of the Rings'? (Thanks to Mediciner for finding one for me by the way) Here's why I needed it, **ME, KATIE, AND CAITLIN ARE WORKING ON A LORD OF THE RINGS FANFIC! **You can read it now, but it's under Caitlin's username. Her username is 'Catt of the Portal Passers'. I do all the writing, but **it has me, Katie, and Caitlin in it! **We pretty much drive the fellowship nuts. GO READ IT! IT'S ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I'VE WRITTEN!

* * *

As Raphael walked, he pondered.

What had happened to Cronos? And what about Fredrick? What connection was there between the legendary warlock and Cronos punching himself in the face?

Raphael had heard the legend of the 'War of Light and Darkness' ever since he was a child. He knew it backwards and forward. He had been especially honored to meet Carolyn and Cronos. Carolyn was the reincarnation of the mighty Fiona, and Cronos was THE Cronos. The mightiest warrior Neopia had ever known. The leader of the chosen one's seven guardians... Raphael had idolized him from childhood. He had been the inspiration for Raphael to grow up to be a strong warrior like Cronos.

And what did Cronos turn out to be? A smart-ass, possessed, teenager, with a filthy mouth.

Still, his mighty battle aura was there, Raphael could sense it. Raphael knew that under the carefree shell, a mighty warrior hid. So he still had a great respect for Cronos.

Then the answer hit Raphael like a ton of bricks. Frederick's poison...Cronos's blood. It all made perfect sense now.

Raphael thought as he continued to walk. Maybe this could work out. Maybe he could find a way to change the situation to work in everyone's favor. His mind was already whirring with dozens of possibilities. If it worked, maybe he could spare everyone.

He started to smile, but then stopped. He could see Tira up ahead. She was sharpening a sword in her hand with a flat rock, leaning lazily against the wall.

Raphael stopped and stared at her. "Tira, what are you doing?

She looked up at him. "I'm just getting this sword ready for my fencing lesson tonight." She smiled as she spoke.

Raphael sighed. "Tira, I can't say I approve of you spending so much time with Cedric."

"Why not?" Tira asked as her smile melted into a frown. "I think he's pretty nice."

"I don't think he's good for you. His aura's off."

"He's a keyblade master-" Tira began to point out.

"That doesn't necessarily make him a saint." Raphael said. "Tira, I strongly encourage you to discontinue those lessons."

Tira shook her head. "Stop being so protective Raphael. I know when a person is good for me and when one isn't. Cedric's harmless, and he's a good teacher; I'm not going to stop the lessons. And anyway, you don't control me." She turned and began to walk away.

Raphael stared after her angrily. "Are you aware that your precious Cedric is the son of King Ansem?!"

Tira screeched to a halt. She spun to face him. Her electric-blue eyes were so wide, they seemed like they were about to pop out of her head. "What?"  
  
"Cedric is Ansem's son," Raphael said gravely, "So you can see why I don't trust him."

"That isn't true." Tira stammered, "It can't be true! You're lying!"

"I'm not lying. Tira, it hurts me that you think I, your own twin, would deceive you. I understand that it's difficult to grasp, but Cedric is the son of the man that created the Heartless."

"No!" Tira cried, "I don't believe you! It's not true!" She turned and ran off, leaving Raphael to shake his head.

As everyone sat down to eat dinner that night, Carolyn was just finishing with the spell. It had taken all day, but she had finally memorized it. She pushed the scroll to the side and began to eat a bowl of stew that had been placed in front of her.

Riku stopped and looked around. "I don't see Mia anywhere, where is she?"

"She's still working on the spell," Carolyn said, "It's complicated. There's a lot of the scroll that was tough for me to translate."

Katie glanced over at Tira. Tira was staring at her plate, pushing her food around with her fork. "You're not eating. You sick or something?"

"Hmm?" Tira said looking up, "Oh! No, it's just…nerves."

Everyone looked up at Carolyn, who was trying to look calm as she ate. But inside, they all knew she was worried. Cronos was still recovering from his injury in his room. Word had spread fast around the temple about how Cronos had been attacked in the weapons room. However, they thought it was an intruder in the temple; only Carolyn and Raphael knew the true cause of his wound.

Kairi finally spoke up. "Carolyn? Are you feeling okay?"

"Not really, no." Carolyn said without looking up. "I felt a lot worse earlier though."

"Why?" Cedric asked raising an eyebrow.

"I was so worried about Cronos, that I felt sick to the stomach all afternoon. But it's alright now."

"What happened?"  
  
"Cassius heard about it and made me a potion that took care of the problem," Carolyn said smiling weakly, "He may not look the type, but he's a very skilled alchemist."


	18. Dark Allegiances

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY!

**I FINISHED THE FIRST DRAFT OF MY NOVEL!!!**

FINALLY! I love what I've written, but after three months of writing it, I just wanted to finish the damn thing. AND NOW I HAVE!

Sorry for not updating my fanfics for a while. But I wanted to devote all my creative energies to finishing my novel. I haven't decided on a title yet, and I still have to rewrite it, but I think that will go pretty smoothly. I'll keep you guys updated as it progresses.

And don't worry about my fanfics. Just because I'm working on becoming a professional author, doesn't mean I'll quit writing my fics. They're a lot of fun to write, and it wouldn't be fair to start a story, and then stop, leaving you guys to wonder what happened to the characters. So don't worry, the story will continue.

* * *

The boy straightened the hood around his face and looked around. So far, so good. Not a soul in sight. But in case he was spotted, the hood would keep his identity a secret as he fled.

He drew a small knife from his cloak and cut the palm of his hand with it. His blood oozed out and he squeezed his fist to keep it pouring. Once there was a small puddle of it he used a quick flash of his power to heal it, leaving no trace.

He began to mutter. "Rise up dark ghost of an age long past. Pick up your poisoned sword once more. Rise up, Lord Fredrick!"

His blood began to sizzle like butter on a frying pan. He stepped back, as a dark figure rose slowly from the puddle. Soon the boy was face-to-face with a tall man with deathly white skin, long silver hair, and red slits for eyes.

"You are a presumptuous boy, aren't you?" Fredrick said coldly. "Consider yourself fortunate that I came. Though whether I'll kill you or not remains to be seen."

The boy felt his resolve weaken, but he held back the tremble in his voice and went on. "Lord Fredrick, I come bearing an offer of allegiance."

Fredrick let out a cold laugh. "AN ALLEGIANCE?! You jest! I have no ally. I NEED no ally. What could you possibly offer me, little boy?"

"I can give you Fiona."

Fredrick's body halted. His eyes narrowed. "If you are telling me a falsehood…"

"Not at all. I know exactly where her reincarnation is, and how you are connected with that half-breed lover of hers."

"NEVER SPEAK OF THAT HALF-BLOOD IN FRONT OF ME!" Fredrick roared. He seemed to grow ten times his normal size, towering over the boy, who let out a cry of terror and dropped to his knees.

Fredrick quickly regained his composure. Shrinking back to his normal size, he went on. "Fiona is mine. She always will be. Her host, however, is an insolent little brat that needs dealing with." His eyes narrowed. "Carolyn. She is a thorn in my side. One that I've been meaning to remove for quite some time."

"And I can do it for you." The boy said, regaining his courage and rising to his feet. "I can give you Carolyn."

"How?" Fredrick barked, "To get to Carolyn, you'd need to get by Cronos. Aside from Carolyn, Cronos is the most powerful human in our world!"

"And you fear him?" The boy asked. He knew it was probably dangerous to say such a thing, but he knew if he could bring out Frederick's anger and hatred, he would have no trouble convincing him.

Fredrick scoffed. "I could squash him like a bug. And I should, after the way he has bewitched my Fiona's host, keeping her beyond my reach."

"Your influence over him could be used to bring her within your reach at last."

Fredrick frowned. "That wouldn't work. I can only control Cronos for a minute at most. Even then, my control is shaky, he is constantly fighting me from within to keep me away from his beloved."

"I can extend your influence over him so that he CANNOT fight back. He will be a helpless bystander as you take back your queen."

Fredrick stared at him suspiciously. "You can do this?"

"Not me directly. But one of my associates can. When I give the word, he will carry out my plan. All I need is for you to take control at the right moment."

"What do you get out of this?" Fredrick asked. His voice held intrigue, but still suspicion. "Why help me? What do you ask in return?"

"I need Fiona's host for one thing. Just for a little while. She is the key to the entire plan. Without her, it cannot work right."

"What plan do you speak of?" Fredrick snarled. "Tell me! Speak, or these words shall be the last you ever hear."

So the boy told him. As he went over each detail of the plan, he saw Frederick's eyes widen. The warlock's face became one of surprise, then careful thought, and then barely contained joy. His eyes glittered, and he grinned maliciously.

"It could work..." He breathed. "It really could work..."

"So you agree then?" The boy asked, his voice full of relief.

Fredrick laughed. "You have something there boy. I can't imagine why I didn't think of such a thing before." He smiled and tilted his head back, lost in thought for a moment. "A way to make Fiona mine, and at the same time bring eternal suffering to Cronos. I love it!"

"Then I have your allegiance?"

Fredrick laughed again and clapped his hand on the boy's shoulder. "You have it boy. What do you need?"

"I need some of your poison first of all."

"Consider it done."

"I need control of your demon army."

"Done, but do not think to abuse your power. I created those demons. They serve ME first."

"Understood. And I will also need you in place to control Cronos during the sealing ceremony. The rest will fall into place."

"Very well." Fredrick said. His gleeful expression vanished. "But let me remind you of one thing." He brought his face so close to the boy's that they were practically touching. "You can use her for a brief while, but remember: Fiona and her host are both MINE. No one else's! It is destiny! It has been preordained since the beginning of time, and I WILL take her back. Do you understand?"

The boy calmly looked into his glowering eyes. "Of course I do, my lord."


	19. Friends Left Behind

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Calm

Rant: I went and saw 'Spamalot' at Broadway in Chicago over winter break. For those of you who don't know, 'Spamalot' is a musical based off of 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'. I LOVE THAT MOVIE. I'm a big fan of dry-humor. The play was excellent. My mom and me sat way up in the balcony, but we could still see everything. It was great to see all the scenes turned musical, and there were even some new jokes and scenes that weren't in the movie! I just pray it comes out on video like 'Catz' or 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' so that my dad and brother can see it. (Me and my mom had a girl's night out) I bought my brother a black knight plushie with detachable arms and legs, so I think he'll be alright. It was so great being in the theater. Everyone there (including me) had the script memorized, so people applauded for five minutes when the 'French Taunter' first came out. And he didn't even say anything yet!

Heh. I'm a theatre junkie.

* * *

(You didn't really think I just dropped the FFX cast, did you?)

Somewhere in Spira...

The door opened and Yuna turned her head to look. Tidus stood there, half-asleep.

"Yuna?" He muttered, "What are you still doing up?" The weariness was heavy in his voice. With each word, it sounded like he was suppressing a yawn. Yuna felt the tug of exhaustion pulling at her own eyes, but she tried not to let it show.

"Tidus? I want to show you something? Come here."

She heard him mumble something, before he dragged himself forward. Yuna sat at a desk in the study. A variety of books, maps, and charts were spread out on the wooden surface. There was an open window just above her head, with a clear view of the night sky over Besaid Island.

"What's this all about?" Tidus asked, slapping one of the maps with the back of his hand.

"They're charts of the sky." Yuna said simply, deciding to give Tidus a chance to figure this one out himself.

"I figured." Tidus said holding one up and examining the different dots and patterns that were marked on it. "But why are you looking at all of these, when you should be sleeping like a sane human being?"

Yuna smiled and rolled her eyes. Tidus hardly ever changed, he would always carry that childlike demeanor with him. In fact, Yuna strongly suspected that one day he would be an old man still kicking a blitzball into the air as always.

"Compare that chart to the sky outside the window." She said. Tidus held it up to the window, and then lowered it.

"They look nothing alike." He pointed out, slightly more awake than when he first came in.

"You have it upside down."

"Oh. I see." Tidus quickly turned it around. Yuna chuckled. Yep. Same old Tidus.

Tidus looked outside, and then at the map. "They still don't match up."

"Exactly." Yuna said, "The stars are out of alignment. I've been looking over all these books for some reason as to why that is, but I can't find any. This book I was just reading said that ancient cultures took that as an omen of disaster."

"So some paranoid cultures spent too much time looking at the sky. Big whoop." Tidus said setting the paper back down and stretching his arms over his head.

"Sometimes I think the ancients knew more than we did about certain things." Yuna sighed.

"The only ancient people I know about are the ones from Zanarkand, and they sure as hell weren't very smart."

"I'm talking about the people who came before Zanarkand. And even during the time of Zanarkand, many people believed in this." She looked at him gravely, "The last time the sky looked like this was right before Sin first appeared."

The color was sucked from Tidus's face. "Are you serious?"

"I am."

Tidus took in a slow breath. "What do you think we should do?"

"The stars are out of alignment, therefore the worlds are out of alignment. This isn't just happening to us."

Tidus frowned, then it changed into a smile. "You think we need to get the old crew together?"

"That's exactly what I think." Yuna said standing up. "We'll need to call Rikku to come on the airship, and I hope Kimarhi can come from Mt. Gagazet." She frowned. "I think we might need to pay a visit to the place Raphael was referring to."

"That 'White Apocalypse' place?" Tidus said, "Raphael told you not to leave Spira. He said it was dangerous."

"The danger isn't here, Tidus. It's far from here, and I can help stop it. I know I can."

"Do you really think you can trust Raphael?"

Yuna gave a small shrug. "I don't know. That man gave me the chills. I don't know what exactly is going on here, but I can't just sit here." She started towards the door. "We need to get Wakka and Lulu and start making preparations. We have to get out of here as quickly as possible."

"See? This is why I love you." Tidus laughed, following her from the room.


	20. Scars of the Past

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Happy

Rant: Finally, I've stopped beating around the bush and gotten back to the main cast. I'm sorry, but I just couldn't write with them for a while. I was buying myself time, jumping to other characters in other locations. But I still think those chapters came out pretty well. I've decided I'm gonna make a real effort to buckle down and get the chapters done faster, because making you guys wait this long is ridiculous.

And I noticed SoraLover020 has made a story with me and the rest of the guardian crew. WAI! I feel so happy! So honored that someone liked my story enough to write their own! Thank you so much, and remember if you need my help with ANY of it, just let me know.

* * *

The same night that a traitorous pact was made and Yuna realized something was wrong with the universe; Tira and Cedric had just finished the latest fencing lesson. 

Tira leaned exhausted against the railing. The lesson had been considerably harder than last night's. He'd taught her about attacking and how to hit an opponent's vital points. It was difficult to measure Tira's progress since they couldn't very well stab each other to find out how good her accuracy was.

"Tomorrow I think I'll teach you how to channel your energy through a weapon." Cedric said, sheathing his weapon. "I won't be staying long, but at least I can teach you what to practice."

Tira nodded. She smiled. Cedric was a good teacher. Though he was making a conscious effort not to enjoy it, he still couldn't hold back his smiles and brief chuckles. Tira could see he had a good soul and a kind heart.

He's Ansem's son.

Tira shuddered. No. That was wrong. Her brother had been wrong…or lying. Cedric couldn't be Ansem's son. How could such a kind boy be the son of the most evil man that had ever lived?

Tira wanted to ask Cedric about it, but she couldn't. It was surely a lie, and if she asked Cedric he might take it as offensive. But still…the question gnawed at her.

"Are you alright?"

Tira jumped back to reality. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

Stupid Raphael. He probably got his facts wrong again.

Cedric smiled. "You did good today, Tira. I think you have a knack for this."

That comment made Tira blush. She turned her head, making it hard for him to see it. "Thank you. I've watched Raphael before, I've just never picked up a sword and made a real effort to learn before."

"Is Raphael a good fencer?"

Tira beamed. She liked to praise her twin. He may be a jerk sometimes, but she still loved him. "Yeah, he's one of the best. When the Heartless attacked our world, he kept so many people safe. He almost totally drove them back single-handedly." Tira's face became downcast. "But not quick enough to save our parents. They died soon after the Heartless first showed up."

Cedric's face paled. "Oh. I'm sorry."

Tira just shrugged. "Raphael drove them all back with the help of some other warriors. I used my magic to keep them from getting back in." She smiled. "This place is still protected by my magic, so you don't have to worry about any Heartless or Lifeless getting in. Even if the ceremony fails, we'll still be safe here."

Cedric blinked at her. "_This place is your world?_"

"Yes. The people of our world were the Legends Keepers. That's why we know so much about the Chosen One, the Keyblade Masters, and the Pure-Hearts."

Cedric nodded. "I'd heard about a group of people who kept all the legends and prophecies of the universe. This is that place?"

"Exactly. When the Heartless came, we knew that the Keyblade Masters would be brought together by the first war. Now that the second war has begun, our part of the story has begun. Raphael is zealous about keeping to the legend. He stays up all night reading over old prophecies, trying to find new ways to beat the Darkness this time. He thinks that if he can stop Darkness, he'll be making up for failing to save Mom and Dad."

While Tira spoke, her thoughts began to drift around this subject. She'd never really thought about it before, but now that she'd brought it up to Cedric, she felt like she was seeing her problem in a new light.

When they'd been children, growing up in peace, Tira and Raphael had been inseparable. There'd been no secrets between the two siblings. They'd done everything together. Tira had always looked up to her brother, and Raphael had always looked out for her.

But after the Heartless attacked, everything had suddenly changed. Raphael instantly morphed into a leader of wartime. He'd called orphans and refugees from other worlds to the sanctuary they'd built. Her twin had become so distant, burying himself in his work. It seemed that his goal to destroy the shadows had consumed him. The brother that she once knew, now only appeared in brief flashes. Tira still loved him. She loved no one more than Raphael; they'd been together since they were in their mother's womb. But he was changing.

_"When the ceremony's done, Raphael will be normal again." _Tira told herself for the umpteenth time, _"Then everything will be as before. He'll be happy and smile again. It will all be the same."_

That thought gave her so much happiness. She'd almost completely forgotten the times of her childhood. So sweet…so peaceful.

"We're in a messed up time, aren't we?" Tira laughed. "We're all so young, yet we're faced with some much hardships and warfare."

Cedric sighed. "I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes I wish it would all just stop. Just so I could get my head straight. Everything's being thrown at me too fast to comprehend. I just wish I could take a day off from being a hero."

Tira nodded. "My childhood was so innocent. Now I've seen so many people die, and for what? A madman's experiment."

Cedric stiffened. "Madman?"

"Yes, Ansem." Tira went on, "The man was an absolute beast. A complete lunatic. What sort of man inflicts that kind of suffering on his own people?"

Cedric looked down and mumbled. "Maybe he had reasons for it."

"There's no good reason that could possibly justify what he did." Tira said shaking her head. "I hate him."

Cedric sighed. He turned and began to leave. "The lesson's over. Go get some sleep. You earned it." He vanished around the corner.

Tira frowned. Cedric had suddenly seemed so subdued at the mention of Ansem.

Could it be…

She shook her head. Stop it Tira! You know it's not true!

She turned and entered the corridors of the massive temple. As she made her way back to her room, she stopped.

Cassius was sitting on the floor, back against the wall. His head was tilted back and he snoring lightly.

"Cassius?" She said softly. "What are you doing out here?" She knelt down beside him. It was obvious he was in a deep sleep. He was probably exhausted, and she didn't have the heart to wake him. She sighed and pulled him to his feet. She draped his arm around her shoulder and began to pull him towards his room. "Come on. Let's get you back to your room, you little weirdo."

If only she'd noticed the recently used syringe in his pocket. If only she'd noticed the medicinal scent about him. If only she'd noticed the odd little smile that he slept with. If only...


	21. Behind Violet Eyes

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Happy

Rant: Sorry that this chapter took so long to write. I've been in a writing funk lately. (Not a good thing to be in while you're editing a novel) Plus, I had finals. (I GOT STRAIGHT A'S THIS SEMESTER! BOOYA!)

As for my novel, I'm in the process of editing it. I'm planning to put up a web page about it for you guys to look at. It will give you a brief synopsis of the plot, and inform you of the progress. I'll try to finish the page and post a link in the next chapter.

Here's a bit of info on my novel for now. It's an adventure/fantasy/romance/horror story. It's actually a series that should span around six or seven books. And you guys are gonna love this next bit of news: three of the main characters are based loosely off me, Katie, and Caitlin. There aren't as many slapstick, outrageous jokes like you see in my fanfics, but Katie's character still keeps things funny at times. (She's a lot more serious than Katie though) It's good. I think you guys will like it. There'll be more info on the website once I get it up.

* * *

It was the final day before the ceremony. The halls were packed with people, bustling around trying to set up the finishing touches. The ceremony hall was closed off as the final ornaments were set up. 

Mia had never seen such a fuss in her life. No matter where she went, someone was always working. People kept bowing to her in the halls, and addressing her as 'My lady', or 'Your eminence'. It was getting out of hand.

She finally sought shelter in the food hall. She found that most of the group had gathered there as well.

"It's like a zoo out there, isn't it" Carolyn said rolling her eyes as Mia sat down across from her. "Every time someone bumped into me it was 'sorry' this, and 'forgive me' that, and 'I'm not worthy'"

(There's no humor until someone quotes 'Monty Python')

Mia smiled. It never ceased to amaze her how Carolyn could take her destiny with such ease and grace. She could smile and laugh and joke about it. Never once did she let it get to her head, or push her into depression. When someone asked her to save the world, they might as well have asked her to pick up a carton of milk at the store.

Then someone else dragged themselves up to the table, and sat down right between Sam and Carolyn. It was Cronos.

Mia hadn't had a chance to visit Cronos in the infirmary, but she'd heard from Sam that he looked awful. Pale, weak, sickly, and a bruise that almost covered the left side of his face. Now he looked much stronger, but he was visibly shaken.

"Hello, sicky." Katie said cheerfully.

"Hello, psycho." Cronos retorted. Mia noticed that he had his head bowed, and was keeping the left side of his face covered with his hand.

"Whatcha hiding there?" Alex asked smiling.

"None of your business."

"That's really fascinating" Sam pointed out"Because I just decided…IT IS."

He reached up and seized Cronos's hand. Before Cronos could protest, he ripped his hands away from his face.

Mia spat out her mouthful of water. Some of it got caught partway down her throat and squirted out her nose as she tried to stifle her laughter.

There was a large bandage covering the left side of Cronos's face. Mia could see the beginnings of a nasty bruise peeking out from under the edges. But it was the bandage that she found to be so humorous. It was bright pink, and had little blue kittens on it.

"They were out of regular bandages." Cronos grumbled, lowering his hands, knowing that the chance to save himself humiliation had gone.

Sam had his face in his hands. His whole body shook as he tried not to erupt into a fit of giggles.

"Snnk!" He snickered against his hand.

"It's not funny, Sam." Cronos said with dangerous slowness.

Of course, this just pushed Sam over the edge. He exploded with laughter, pounding his fist on the table.

"Does it hurt a lot?" Katie asked, stupidly reaching across the table and giving the bandage a sharp poke.

"Only when you touch it!" Cronos snapped. He swatted his hand at Katie's finger, but she jerked back, and the palm of his hand connected with the bruise. Pain shot through his skull as he cried out.

"Katie," Carolyn growled. "You realize you're gonna lose a limb for that later."

"Aw man." Katie said, absentmindedly poking at her food. Mia had feeling that Carolyn had made this threat numerous times before, and Katie was no longer fazed by it.

"Carolyn, with the way you're always treating her, I can't believe Katie's your friend." Kairi said rolling her eyes.

"Hey! We have a good friendship!" Carolyn cried in her defense.

"What you have is a violent, manipulative relationship based exclusively on abuse."

"Right, a friend."

"Let me put it in this context for you." Caitlin said. "If you had to put up with THAT since fourth grade, don't you think you'd get just a little violent?"

Caitlin jerked her thumb in Katie's direction. Katie had seized Sora's plate, dumped the food on the floor, was balancing it on the tip of her nose, and was now singing. (off-key, of course) _"I'm a lumberjack, and I'm okay. I sleep all night, I work all day!"_

(Another blatant Monty Python reference)

"Well, at least she's not doing her 'Invader Zim' bit." Alex sighed.

"Leprechauns!" Katie said, tilting her head forward, sending the plate crashing to the floor. Her voice sounded hauntingly like Gir's from 'Invader Zim'.

"Just don't start singing the 'Doom Song'." Carolyn advised. "Now then, has everyone memorized their part for the ceremony tomorrow?"

No one said anything.

Carolyn sighed. "Has anyone but me even STARTED memorizing for the ceremony?"

Silence again.

Carolyn cracked her knuckles. "Now let's see… Who do we really NEED for this ceremony?"

Everyone's hand immediately shot up.

"We were just joking!"

Carolyn's muscles became less tense. "Good. Your painful deaths have been temporarily put on hiatus."

Mia's ears perked up. She could've sworn she'd heard fast-paced footsteps in the halls, followed shortly by frantic shouts.

Carolyn must've heard it too. She stood up and waved her hand. "Everyone shut up!" She said in an authoritive voice. Everyone promptly shut up.

Mia frowned and stared at Carolyn. Her voice had suddenly changed. It was softer now, and more mature. But it had a regal bearing to it, like a general addressing his troops. The voice sounded as if it had come from a grown woman, not a teenage girl whose voice still had a childish hint to it.

But that wasn't all. A moment ago Carolyn's eyes had been blue. Not bright blue like the sky, but the color of a dark blue stone that had been dipped in water. But now they were a piercing shade of violet. They seemed to glow with an unearthly intensity.

Mia blinked to make sure she wasn't imagining it. Now they were blue again. What had that violet color been then? A trick of the light? Colored contacts were ruled out. There was no way she could've popped them in or out without Mia seeing. Besides, why would Carolyn be so vain about her eye color? Yes, the violet eyes were beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful, but her blue eyes were pretty too. Something was going on. Carolyn knew far more than she was talking about.

The door flew open. Cassandra was leaning against the doorframe gasping for breath. To everyone's great shock, her left arm was bleeding.

"The ceremony hall!" She screamed. "One of the Lifeless squeezed through the crack in the seal!"

"Yay! We're doomed!" Katie cheered.

"Katie, do you even understand what you just said?" Carolyn asked.

"Yes!" Katie said brightly. Then she frowned. "Wait a minute…no."

"Shh" Carolyn hissed seizing Katie by the shoulders and glaring at her fiercely. "You wanna get sued?"

Cassandra suddenly swooned and pitched forward. Sam quickly stepped forward and caught her. As he lowered her to the ground, everyone saw she was pale with blood loss.

"Hang on, I'll heal you." Caitlin said, beginning to draw her sword.

"I'll be fine," Cassandra gasped. "Just go help the others!"

"Oh stop being such a martyr and hold still." Caitlin said raising her flute/sword to her lips. But Cassandra had already lost consciousness. Caitlin blew a series of sharp notes, and her injury closed up.

"What should we do with her?" Alex asked.

"Just leave her here. She'll wake up soon enough. Right now we're needed in the hall!" Carolyn snapped springing to her feet. Mia blinked. There it was again. Carolyn's eyes were violet. A few seconds later they went back to blue. And her voice had momentarily changed again. It was like, just for a moment, there had been someone else talking. What was Carolyn hiding from them?


	22. The Guardian's Oath

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Ticked as Hell!

Rant: I hate people who make spyware; you know that? Who the hell do they think they are? What good does destroying my computer do them? What kind of sick thrill does it give them?

I am so sorry for not updating, but I had severe computer problems that lasted for several weeks. My computer was packed with spyware, adware, and so many viruses that I lost count around a thousand. I couldn't even get into 'My Computer'. It got so bad, that one day my poor computer just wouldn't turn on anymore.

Now I'm a cautious person. I used to use Kazaa, but I've come to my senses and stopped. I run routine spyware and virus scans, so I have no idea how this problem started. Fortunately, I'm the computer whiz in my family. (I'm like a built-in tech-support). I managed to turn the computer on. I spent hours looking up different dangerous files, and deleting harmful registry items. I'm happy to say that I finally fixed my computer. (breaths content little sigh)

Once again, I'm very sorry about this. I made the chapter three times as long as a normal one to make up for it. I'll be in Las Vegas over Spring Break. I'm going to work my ass off to get a chapter done before I leave, so don't worry.

By the way, my novel's website is done. (Check my bio for the address. It's in the description section.). I'll be adding artwork and more content soon.

* * *

Carolyn, who was hiding plenty of knowledge from Mia and the others, could hear her blood pounding through her ears as she raced down the winding halls of the temple. She'd only been there for two days, but she already had most of the main routes memorized. She could hear the others behind her, trying desperately to keep up.

Even though this had been going on for three years, Carolyn still had to marvel at how drastically she had changed. Before discovering her destiny as the Chosen One of her world, she had been the slowest runner that she'd known of. It would take her twenty minutes just to run a mile. Most of the time, her actual running had been short, painful sprints, followed by an even more painful period of jogging slowly and trying to catch her breath as her muscles screamed in agony.

But now she was running at top speed down a winding, labyrinthine hallway and wasn't feeling the least bit winded. All the training that had been imposed on her when she became Chosen One helped, of course. But then again, it also helped when your previous incarnation was a faerie queen of untold power.

Carolyn saw the ornately wrought iron doors to the ceremony hall up ahead. Even from this distance, she could sense the darkness hanging over it. There seemed to be an aura pulsing within them, like a dark heart beating a slow rhythm. She could almost see the dark tendrils of shadow seeping from the crack between the doors. Carolyn had the chilling thought that she was the only one who could see them.

As she approached, she could feel the darkness tensing up, bracing itself against her coming. She knew that simply pushing or pulling the door would be unsuccessful. She pushed her shoulder forward, and slammed against the doors with all her might.

The doors swung open, and Carolyn instantly felt wind on her face. A dark spray of air roared out at her. She screamed and shielded her face with her arm. She could feel her feet lifting off the ground, as the dark storm threw her back.

STAY OUT.

She hit the ground, and was on her feet as the others reached her. She looked up, and saw that the doors had remained open, but the room within was shrouded by a black mist.

"What the hell was that thing?" Sora yelled.

"Oh, boy," Katie sighed. "This is so much tougher without Lauren here." She was taking off one of her earrings. This one was a small black hexagonal jewel.

"Who?" Riku said frowning.

"Everyone stand back!" Katie commanded, pulling her earring off. Carolyn rolled her eyes as she stepped behind her. While Katie was only just sane enough to stay out of a nuthouse, Carolyn knew that her friend probably still belonged in one. (Carolyn had actually called the white-coats on her on more than one occasion)

But Katie had these moments…when she seemed to become serious. Normal even. She'd talk for a full minute without quoting Invader Zim, talking about how much sugar she'd consumed, or how many squirrels were plotting to kill her.

_"Maybe you're smarter than we all think."_ Carolyn thought as everyone gathered behind Katie. Katie pinched the small stone between her thumb and forefinger and held it out in front of her.

"When I give the word, everyone move forward!" Katie ordered. Everyone stood still, waiting for Katie's instruction.

Katie released the earring. It hovered in the spot where she had held it up just a second ago. The black stone began to expand, retaining its original pattern. It continued to grow, until it formed a huge translucent shield between them and the shadows in the doorway.

"GO!" Katie shouted, pushing her arms out in front of her, so that her fingertips were almost touching the shield. While Carolyn could see hesitation in her otherworldly friend's faces, she knew what to expect. She bolted. After seeing her example, Sora and the others ran too.

The shield sped forward in front of them, shielding them from the dark miasma that flooded the room. Carolyn felt the shadows pulling at her, trying to drag her down and damn her. It was a tired, achy feeling that she had encountered many times before. It made her want to lie down and go to sleep. But she continued to press forward, though it felt like she was trudging through a thick layer of mud. She called up a memory of something Fiona had once said.

"It is in defying darkness that we defeat it."

"Don't let it drag you down!" Carolyn screamed when she saw some of her comrades struggling to stay upright. As she spoke, she felt her bow forming in her hands and her quiver full of arrows materializing on her back.

They all burst out of the thick black fog that made up the first section of the room. Katie's ward had spread until it covered all of them in a transparent, protective shell. While this portion of the room wasn't pitch-black like it had been earlier, there was still a fine mist of shadow covering the room.

"All this from one Lifeless?" Carolyn heard Alex exclaim.

Carolyn wasn't paying attention to him. She was scanning the room, trying to see through the darkness. Trying to see who was trapped within.

Then she saw them. Raphael was sprawled out on the floor, lying on his stomach. A tentacle of darkness seemed to be stuck in his back. He wasn't moving, and Carolyn saw his skin was deathly pale. The tentacle seemed to be pumping the very life force from his body. Cassius was sprawled out nearby, and Marcus was over to the left. Both had tentacles in them.

Carolyn readied an arrow, pulled back on the bowstring, and released it. The missile zipped forward, as it flew it began to glow with a white-hot light, and sank into the arm of shadow, just above Raphael's back. There was the sound of a thousand creatures screaming in death. Electricity crackled from the protruding arrow. The tentacle wrenched itself from Raphael's back, still screaming that unearthly scream. The boy shuddered and writhed on the floor in pain. The light from the arrow began to fold around the monster's arm. The limb gave one last shudder, before it faded from existence completely.

Carolyn readied another arrow to use on the tentacles that had Marcus and Cassius, but the others were in action. There was the hacking and slashing of swords and keyblades, and then both boys were free.

Carolyn began to reach out for her threads of energy, ready to weave them together to form the Omega Arrow. She knew it might not be enough to take down this beast, but it would weaken it severely.

Then she stopped and frowned. Wait, this was all wrong; the creature had been cut off from its sources of darkness. It should've been far weaker than this. But its aura was still pulsing with strength.

Could it be…?

"Guys?" Carolyn called out. Everyone but Caitlin, who was busy healing Raphael, looked at her. "This monster is still strong, even though we took away its source of food. It's hiding something." She pointed at the darkest part of the mist, where the tentacles had crawled out. That was the body of this Lifeless; it's core. She didn't know how she knew, but she did. "I think there's a _person_ in there."

Then Carolyn felt an aura spark to life. She recognized it instantly; she also knew that the one behind it wouldn't reveal it unless it was an emergency signal.

Cedric apparently sensed it too. "TIRA!"

Carolyn felt a familiar sense of panic crept into her heart. "LET HER GO!" She screamed at the shadowy mass.

As harsh voice hissed in reply. It seemed to come from everywhere at once, causing the room to quake. It seemed composed of thousands of wicked voices echoing at once.

NEVER. SHE IS MINE MINE MINE. GO AWAY.

Carolyn's eyes darted around. She could see more tentacles emerging from the mist. She would h ave to go to the creature's body to rescue Tira. The monster had probably seized the unaware girl when it first emerged, and had then proceeded to attack her brother and friends. But Tira was its main source of power. Remove her from the core, and they would have a fighting chance.

But she couldn't get in there alone.

She looked up. Her guardians and friends were already attacking the newly emerged tentacles. Sora and Riku's keyblades flashed as they cut through shadow. Katie was using her ability to bind darkness to freeze the creature's arms as they slivered across the floor. Alex had called his sword to his hand and was slicing his way through the battle with ease. Caitlin was trying to heal Cassius and Marcus, while simultaneously trying to ward off the attackers. Sam was throwing lightening bolts, and Cronos was throwing energy attacks at anything that came near him. There was only one person available to help her.

"Cedric!" Carolyn shouted, "Get ready! We're going in!"

Cedric turned and stared at her, as if she'd just told him to give the Lifeless a great big hug. "WHAT!"

"Damnit, Cedric!" Carolyn cried in desperation. Tira's time was getting shorter with each passing second. "I can't get in there alone!"

Cedric looked back at Carolyn's guardians, and his fellow keyblade masters.

"They'll be fine without us! We have to go NOW!" Carolyn shouted/

Cedric nodded. "Fine! Let's do it!"

Carolyn's bow and arrows faded from her hands and were replaced with her sword. The Light Blade. The same weapon she'd lent Mia three years ago when this whole crazy thing with other worlds had started. It had been her training weapon, until her powers had become strong enough to materialize her arrows. While it was a toy compared to her bow, it would be more suitable for her current situation. It felt light and familiar in her hands, and she vaguely remembered how she had the reputation of being a prodigy with a blade.

Time to see if that reputation had any truth to it.

Carolyn lunged towards the thickest part of the darkness. Cedric followed. She heard him yell as one of the tentacles lashed out at him. He hacked it away.

Then the creature's arms came at her. Carolyn sliced through it before it got near her. Another came at her from behind, but Cedric cut it in two.

She felt one of them wrap around her leg, She slashed it, but as she did so, another came at her and wrapped around the hand that held the sword. Cedric started to help her, but he was immediately overcome by more of the damned things. He was having a hard enough time watching his own back.

Carolyn let out a yell as another tentacles seized her leg again. She was being lifted off the ground by her right arm and her left leg; being stretched out. She could already feel it trying to let the darkness in. It was poking around her barriers, trying to find a crevice in her heart.

"Sorry, but no dice!" She yelled. The sword vanished from her right hand and reappeared in her left. She swung it through the one around her leg, and then cut the one around her arm. She toppled to the ground and landed with a thud. She felt Cedric beside her, trying to catch is breath.

"What are you stopping for!" She yelled getting to her feet. "Get moving!"

They finally burst out of the protective ring of tentacles and into the core. Carolyn immediately knew that this was it. This was the creature's true face.

In fact, the creature didn't seem to HAVE a face. It was giant blob of shadow in the middle of the room. It was constantly moving and shifting its shape. Tentacles kept sprouting from it, and crawling out to the front of the room to attack the others.

But Carolyn and Cedric saw none of this. Their eyes were locked on only one thing: Tira.

She was embedded within the shadow. Only her arms, chest, and head were visible as she hung within the mass of black substance. Her eyes were rolled up and blank. Her mouth was hanging open slightly, moving as it formed words.

"Mommy..." She whispered softly, "Daddy..."

_"It's feeding on her!" _Carolyn's mind screamed. Frantic, she wailed. "LET HER GO!"

Then the Lifeless responded with that horrible, horrible voice again.

YOU STUPID STUPID GIRL. GET OUT. SHE IS MINE. GET OUT. LEAVE.

Cedric didn't waste another second. He leapt into the air, and came down at the creature with his sword raised. A tentacle burst from the creature's body. It slammed into him, knocking him down into the floor.

Then a voice spoke in Carolyn's head. It was comforting and familiar. It was a voice that she knew too well; it spoke to her in her dreams, and whenever there only seemed to be darkness. It was one of the secrets that Carolyn was hiding that Mia wanted to know about. It was the voice of her past, and yet it was the voice of her future as well.

"You know what must be done."

Carolyn felt a surge within her. This was her power; pure and undiluted. Raw energy that seemed to surge with instinct, while retaining her humanity. She felt her sword beginning to vanish in her hand. It had been useful getting her inside, but she needed to bring out the big guns now. She felt her bow and arrows return to her again.

"Release her at once." Carolyn said sharply. Her eyes shone violet; the same violet that Mia had spotted. And it wasn't Carolyn talking, it was the voice now. "I will NOT ask again."

NEVER. SHE IS MINE.

Carolyn drew a single arrow. She could feel her power pulsing now, like two hearts beating in one chest. One kept her physical form alive, and the other sustained her very essence, her life-force. And it was beating rapidly.

She placed the arrow on the bow and drew back on the string. "Cedric, get ready to grab her." She spoke with complete confidence that he would not question or protest to this command.

She felt it gathering inside her. It was a shining light from within. It was burning; it was too great for her body to hold. Her shape was a weak and unworthy vessel for such a mighty force. And yet at the same time, this power was hers. She shaped it and molded it. It was her.

The arrow was shining now. It vibrated in her grip, but she held on. The power continued to swell. She felt like a balloon being filled to the breaking point. She was going to burst if she held such a force much longer.

Finally, at the exact instant it became too much to bear, when she was just about to be completely ripped apart from within by her own powers, when it seemed almost comical that a young girl could be wielding that much energy, Carolyn let go of the arrow.

It seemed more like a ray of solid light than an arrow. Its flight was instantaneous. The point sank into the monster's skin, and suddenly everything seemed to freeze.

A dome of appeared from the arrow. It began to spread out, like a nuclear explosion. This was the force of light, with no masks or hidden intent. It was purity, and everything it touched was filled with a brilliant radiance.

When the dome's wall came at Cedric, he braced himself, but nothing could've prepared him for what he felt when it passed over him. Suddenly everything was illuminated; there were no shadows or lies to obstruct his view. There was only light. He felt...wonderful! Everything was suddenly perfect. There was no pain, no sorrow, and no tragedy. He was one with the universe and everything within it.

The arrow itself was roaring with brilliance. Brighter than a thousand of the brightest suns. The entire room, no, the entire world was glowing. All traces of hatred and anger were simply wiped away, like dirt off a window.

Then it was suddenly over. The light began to dim and lose its intensity. Finally it was all drawn back into the arrow. The object glittered and then faded away. Cedric didn't go right back to normal, instead, he felt intense sorrow that it was over so quickly.

Then he came back to reality. The roars of the Lifeless had become little more than pitiful shrieks. The shadows and the tentacles were all retreating back into the main body. Then Carolyn's words suddenly came back to him. Cedric bolted forward, and seized Tira by the arms. She was being pulled into the core, along with the rest of the creature's body. Cedric wrenched her free. He staggered back, unprepared for the sudden weight of her in his arms. He held onto her and watched as the lifeless began to shrink. Earlier it had towered to the ceiling, but now it was becoming shorter than him. The light regular light was returning to the room, though it seemed dull compared to the earlier wave of brilliance that had encompassed it moments before.

Carolyn watched the Lifeless shrink. She was suddenly nauseous. It felt as if something was eating away at her from inside. Her arrows vanished, and a hiss of pain escaped from behind her clenched teeth. She rubbed her hands. It felt like they were on fire. She just wanted to collapse on the floor and sleep.

"How'd you like the Omega Arrow, you bastard?" Carolyn snarled. Then she frowned. The Lifeless had stopped shrinking. Its height was about up to her knee. She blinked to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. It had _survived_? It had endured the Omega Arrow. Carolyn had never come across such a thing, not in her previous lifetime, and certainly not in her current one.

"Why isn't it dead!" She screamed.

"I told you!" She looked back, remembering that she and Cedric weren't the only ones in the room. Raphael had regained conciseness and was struggling to his feet. The others were trying to help him up. "No weapon can destroy the Lifeless! Not even the Omega Arrow!"

Carolyn looked incredulously at the Lifeless. That twisting little black thing on the floor, couldn't even be killed by the most powerful attack a human could perform? Her stomach suddenly felt like a pit of despair. How could they seal up something like this? How could they defeat all of them, if just one had managed to drain her of all her power?

She was just having that thought, when the Lifeless lunged at her. It had been deprived of its former host, but this one was better. This one had such mighty powers at her disposal. More energy for it to feed on. And now she was weakened and easy prey. It was all too perfect.

Carolyn hardly had time to let out a scream when someone rushed past her. Sam bolted straight into the path of the monster. Suddenly it dawned on Carolyn; the legend of the Guardians. Their code of honor. The unbreakable oath that had been given to them by destiny.

Protect the Chosen One, even at the cost of your own life.

"SAM! NO!" Carolyn shrieked.

Sam ignored her. He met the Lifeless in mid-jump. He threw his arms around it, as if he were embracing it. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut.

Then they were both gone.


	23. Son of Her Enemy

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Calm (A little bored)

Rant: I'm sorry I didn't update last Friday, but it was the day we left for a whole week to Las Vegas. My aunt came over to baby-sit the dogs. I finished this chapter on the computer in my room, but my computer downstairs has the Internet and my aunt was hogging it. She wouldn't get off even for a minute. Plus I had my dad pacing back and forth behind me, yelling at me to hurry up and get in the damn car. So after arguing with my aunt, and begging my dad for more time, I gave up and left without updating. Sorry!

Vegas was fun, but they've definitely stopped trying to make it family friendly and just let it slide. Some creeps were standing on the sidewalk trying to hand out card with porno pictures on them. They even tried to hand them off to my twelve-year-old BROTHER! (The real-life Tommy by the way) Sometimes I wonder about the world…

As a side note, I just want to say that this fanfic is going to be AT LEAST twice as long as the first one, so be patient please!

**And as another side-note: CAITLIN AND ME ARE PLANNING A WEBCOMIC STARRING CAROLYN, CRONOS, KATIE, CAITLIN, ALEX, AND SAM! MORE DETAILS IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

* * *

Riku blinked. Had he just seen that? One minute Sam was grabbing onto the Lifeless, and the next minute they both just winked out of existence. There was no flash of light, no dramatic smoke effects; they were both just gone. 

"Where did he-" Sora began to say.

"Be patient."

Riku looked over at Cronos, who was watching the spot Sam had vanished from moments ago. The half-faerie's face was calm.

"I've known Sam for a long time." Cronos said calmly, "He knows what he's doing."

Riku noted the calm attitude that the guardians had suddenly taken on. Even Carolyn, who had been in a state of panic just now, only looked slightly agitated.

Then Riku blinked, and suddenly Sam was standing there again. The boy looked beaten and breathless, but otherwise unharmed. And, Riku noticed with shock, there was no Lifeless with him.

"Alright, show's over." Sam said grinning, "Everybody move along now!"

"You...YOU IDIOT!" Carolyn screamed, "DON'T YOU KNOW YOU COULD'VE DIED!"

"Could, but didn't." Sam said, still smiling. "And anyway, I saved your ass, didn't I?"

"What the hell was that?" Sora demanded.

"One of my powers. Teleportation." Sam said flexing his arm. "I warped outside the universe and let go of the Lifeless before I warped back in."

Raphael blinked. "You just dropped it in another WORLD! You idiot! How could you be so irresponsible!"

"I _didn't_ drop it off in another world." Sam snapped. "I wrapped to the emptiness outside all the worlds and dropped it off. It won't be back again."

"Why not?" Cedric asked frowning, still holding an unconscious Tira.

"There are two parts to existence. One is the inner universe that we live in. On this level of reality, everything has a shape and a form. There are wheres, whens, and everything has a shape that we can see. But in the outer universe, everything there is essence. There's no sense of place or time. Everything out there is broken down to its very life-force, and its body becomes fragments of its base materials. That Lifeless is probably down to its atoms by now. I couldn't destroy its physical form, but I made it incapable of harming anyone."

"How come you didn't get pulled apart then?" Cedric asked.

"It took every ounce of my powers to hold my form together. I have to picture myself and hold it all in place. It's very exhausting, but it works."

"You could've warned us before you pulled such a stupid move!' Carolyn yelled, her anger at Sam's near death unabated.

"It was moving pretty fast! I couldn't exactly pull out a poster board and give a full explanation before I did it!"

Carolyn sighed. "I guess you're right. But you still had me worried."

"Carolyn," Caitlin said calmly, "We've protected you for three years. Do you think we'll be outdone by some little shape-shifting blob?"

Carolyn sighed. "No. If anyone outdoes us, it'll be..." She stopped and her voice trailed off.

"It'll be who?" Kairi asked frowning.

"No one." Carolyn said calmly. "Cedric, how's Tira?"

Cedric suddenly became aware that he was still holding Tira. "Oh! She's fine..." He looked at her face, fell silent, and just stared at her.

Raphael staggered to his feet. "I'll take her to the infirmary."

"Raphael, YOU need to get to the infirmary!" Caitlin snapped. "You almost died just now!"

"I said I'LL take her." Raphael snarled. He pulled Tira from Cedric's arms, and gave him a fierce stare.

It suddenly struck Cedric that Raphael didn't like him. Hell, he probably hated him. Cedric's father had been responsible for the death of Tira and Raphael's parents. Tira was Raphael's twin sister, so Raphael probably saw it as his duty to protect her from the likes of Cedric. And Cedric's sudden closeness with Tira probably only intensified Raphael's loathing.

As Raphael stumbled off, Cedric watched them both go, with a small frown on his face.

Tira thrashed and shook with fear and pain. Her parents were fading away faster and faster. Shadows were eating them up fast. Their faces and features were becoming shrouded and murky as they were swallowed up.

"NO! STOP IT!"

She jolted away and found herself sitting up in a hospital bed, tangled up in the white sheets. Her skin was moist with sweat. Her breath came out in short, fearful gasps.

As her memory became clearer, she quaked. She recalled the way the Lifeless had grabbed her and wrapped her up in its claws of darkness. It lied to her, tormented her with images of her dead parents. She felt cold inside, as if her innards had become ice blocks.

"I told you, you can't go in!"

Tira frowned. Was that Raphael's voice? He must've been right outside the door guarding her. How typical.

"I just want to make sure she's alright."

Tira's eyes widened. Cedric. She got up and scrambled to the door. She pressed her ear against it and began to listen.

"She's fine. Look Cedric, I appreciate you saving her back there, but I'd appreciate it even more if you stayed away from my sister."

Tira blinked. Saved her? Cedric had saved her? A smile formed on her lips, but it was quickly destroyed by what Cedric said next.

"This is because of who my father is, isn't it?"

Tira jerked back as if she'd been shot. Had she just heard correctly? Cedric had something to hide about his father?

_He's Ansem's son._

No...couldn't be.

When Raphael didn't answer, Cedric went on, "I didn't choose my parents, Raphael."

"I know you didn't. And I'm sorry. But the fact that you didn't choose him doesn't change the fact that my parents are dead because of your father. You're his flesh-and-blood. Every time I look at you, I see him."

Tira heard footsteps. She had a strong feeling Cedric was starting to leave. Then the steps stopped and he spoke again.

"Born in darkness, raised in darkness," Cedric snarled, "But it doesn't mean I have to live in darkness."

Then the door slammed and his voice was gone.

Tira staggered back, trembling once again. She collapsed back onto the bed, sitting up in shock.

Ansem's son...Cedric was Ansem's son. Raphael hadn't lied to her, it was true. Cedric's father killed her parents. Her heart thumped sadly as she had that thought.

But how? Why? Cedric had always struck her as a good, kind person. A bit indecisive and cold, but not evil. He was good, wasn't he? So how could he be the son of the most wicked man who ever dwelled in reality?

She didn't know. Tira felt tears welling up in her eyes. It could never work. She now knew that Raphael was right. She was a sorceress and the high priestess of White Apocalypse Temple, and he was son of her greatest enemy. She was supposed to hate and despise him with her every breath. (Though Tira knew that wasn't the case)

It could never work.

Tira wept. Every sob echoed with the pain and bitterness that she kept locked up in her heart. The lock was weakening, and the inner grief was flowing out. A faraway thought occurred to her, though she brushed it aside and forgot it until later.

_Oh God, I think I've gone and fallen in love with him._


	24. Vow of Suffering

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Rant: (sung to the tune of 'Halleluiah') IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! (NOT YOUR BIRTHDAY) IT'S MY BIRRRRTHDAY!

Okay, not really. Technically my birthday was on the 7th, but I couldn't get on the computer before now. It broke again, go figure. YOU GUYS GET TWO EXTRA-LONG CHAPTERS TO MAKE UP FOR IT AND TO CELEBRATE MY BIRTHDAY!

For my birthday, Katie, Caitlin, and me went and saw 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy'. I LOVE that book, and the movie was just as good in my opinion! It was one of the funniest movie's I've seen in my life. 'So Long and Thanks For All The Fish' was stuck in my head the rest of the night. And people in the audience got so INVOLVED with the movie. They cheered when Arthur and Trillian finally kissed (myself included), they all whooped in delight as Zaphod dodged bullets with dance moves while disoriented, we smiled at Marvin, the chronically depressed robot, and we all roared with laughter when Arthur, Ford, and Zaphod were being whacked with those shovel things on the Vorgons home planet. If you haven't seen the movie yet, I COMMAND YOU TO GET UP AND SEE IT NOW!

And now if you'll excuse me, I have a reservation at a restaurant at the end of the universe.

* * *

It was the day of the ceremony.

All the preparation, all the hard work, all of everyone's fears and hopes; it all came down to this. This one event would decide if the Lifeless would swallow all life or not.

The temple workers were bustling around, getting every last finishing detail in place. Magic candles were laid out around the ceremony hall, and wood was gathered to fuel the fire for the urn around which the three Pure-Hearts would chant. Every time Mia asked if she could somehow help, people would hastily push her away, as if they weren't worthy of being in her presence.

After awhile, she gave up trying to help out, and took refuge in the food hall. It seemed like that room had become a sanctuary for her and her friends. They could sit, talk and eat without interruption. People wouldn't swarm around them like Mia had first expected; they would stay back and observe them with a quiet awe.

Taking up there usual table in the back corner of the room, the group began to talk about the events of yesterday's attack.

"So, Sam," Sora asked, "What sort of powers do you have?"

"What do you mean exactly?" Sam asked.

"Well, I heard Carolyn call Tom 'Guardian of Fire' once, and I she said that Katie has power over darkness. So how about you?"

Sam grinned. He tried to be modest, but he did enjoy showing off when he could. "I am the beholder of Wind and Weather. I have control over weather patterns and storms. I can call up lightening, wind, rain, and pretty much anything else I want. Plus I've got the ability to teleport anywhere that isn't being blocked by a ward, as you saw yesterday."

"So do all the Guardians have power over different elements?" Kairi asked. She had always thought there were only four elements: wind, water, fire, and earth. But since there were seven Guardians, she wondered how this could be.

"Yep," Caitlin smiled, "All seven of us. Take me for instance: my element is Earth. I can call up plant-life wherever I want and talk to animals. And I've got my healing sword-flute. I can change the ground and control earth and rock too."

"So be nice to her, or she'll drop a mountain on your head." Alex joked. He let out a yelp of pain when Caitlin stomped on his foot underneath the table.

"So what about you then?" Riku asked, "What power do you have, Alex?"

"Ooooh!" Katie squealed, bouncing up and down in her seat. "His is neat! It's the coolest!"

A smile was oozing slowly onto Alex's face. "Well," He said, trying to establish drama while Katie continued to jump up and down, "You know that all objects on this plane of reality are composed of matter, right?" As he spoke, he drew his sword and held it up for them all to see.

"Right." Riku said.

"Well, one of the basic laws of existence is that matter cannot be destroyed; it can only change shape and properties." He seemed to be focusing very hard on the blade of his sword.

"Yay!" Katie said pounding her fists on the table repeatedly, "Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it!"

Suddenly the steel on Alex's blade began to bend. Riku blinked, not sure if he was seeing things correctly or not. The top half of the steel was beginning to bend outward, curving while the edge became sharp. Suddenly Alex wasn't holding a sword anymore; it was a battle-axe.

"That's my power," He said grinning. "I can changed the shape of matter into any form I choose. I can turn my sword into an axe, a mace, or even a spear if I wanted to. I can turn any object into pretty much anything else." As he spoke, the blade on his sword snapped back to its normal shape and Alex put it back in the sheath. "I can open holes in walls if I want. I can even change the properties of objects, like weight. I can make a two-ton boulder weigh as much as a feather."

"Show 'em!" Katie screamed, seizing Alex by the front of the shirt and shaking him, so that he shook painfully back and forth like a rag doll. Katie was screaming right in his face. "You've got to show 'em!"

"Alright, alright!" Alex said pushing her back, "Leggo of me." He got to his feet and walked over to another table. Like the other tables, this one was wooden and about ten feet long. Alex looked at it carefully, then nodded. "Now watch."

Alex walked to the end of the table and knelt down. He seized the end of the table, and, with a quick upward swing of his arms, he hurled it straight up in the air! Mia jaw dropped as she watched it come back down. Alex caught it easily, and hurled it back up into the air, catching it in the other hand. As he continued to do this, Mia realized he was actually _juggling_ with the table.

Alex began to hum as he juggled; it was an unfamiliar tune, but Mia supposed it must've come from Carolyn's world. She watched in amazement as Alex grabbed a chair, and added that to his routine. The chair and table looped over his head over and over again, as he continued to hum that enchanting melody. His smug grin had widened across his face. He was at a climax of pride.

"Hey, guys!" He called out suddenly. He caught the chair in one hand and quickly set it down on the floor. Using the other hand, he caught the end of the table and held it up above his head. "Catch!" He drew his arms back and flung the table at the wall on the opposite side of the room. Mia shrieked and fell back as the table hurtled towards the stone wall, about to smash into pieces.

"NO!" Katie screamed, standing up and knocking her chair over. She stuck both her hands out. Long threads of darkness sprang from her fingertips and lashed out around the table. It halted in midair, suspended by the strings from Katie's hands.

Katie was suddenly dead serious. "Christ, Alex. Don't scare me like that again." She gently lowered the table back to the floor, as the others looked on in awe. The threads retracted into her hands.

Alex smiled and stretched his arms over his head. "Aw come on. It was just a little joke!"

"What was that!" Sora yelled, pointing at Katie. Those shadows had been just like the kind that they'd seen in the room with the Lifeless.

"My power!" Katie said, pumping her arms, suddenly perky again. "I have control over darkness! Stop looking at me like that, I'm not evil!"

"Usually." Carolyn stated.

Katie went on, ignoring her. "I'm not using raw darkness. I can summon up darkness, bind it, and force it to serve good. I control shadows, as you just saw. I'm not affected by the Dark element, which is why I could protect us from the Lifeless yesterday. I can see through demonic disguises, and the undead view me as one of their own, allowing easy infiltration."

"...Wow." Riku managed to stammer.

"My fifteen minutes of fame are over..." Alex sighed.

"As for the other Guardians..." Carolyn went on, "Tommy and Lauren aren't here, but Tommy has the power over fire. He can called up fire anywhere he wants as long as there's sufficient oxygen. He can mold it to burn anything he wants, and it won't go out unless he wills it to. Not even water will stop it. And Lauren has power over water. She can speak to aquatic life, she controls water currents, and can summon up water or ice with a wave of the hand. Plus she can 'scry' and form defensive barriers."

"What does 'scry' mean?" Mia asked.

"It means she has the power to search for people or places in pools of water." Carolyn hastily explained.

"Damn..." Sora said in awe, "You guys have an impressive arsenal."

"We try." Carolyn said with a smile.

"What about Cronos?" Cedric asked. "What's his element?"

"Element?" Sam laughed shapely. "Cronos isn't limited to a mere _element_!"

Mia found it odd that Sam was mocking his own abilities. Was Cronos really that strong? "What sort of power is it?"

Cronos was smiling a little now. The bruise on his face had faded and he was back to his former strength, so Mia was glad to see life in her friend's face again. "Life." He said simply.

That wasn't really an answer at all, so Mia started to ask again. "What do-"

"I can harness Life energy. I use my emotions to power them. I can take the very essence of my spirit and fuel it into energy attacks. When I'm angry, my rage can be channeled into an attack; the same goes with joy, sorrow, and any other emotion I'm feeling. The raw essence of the human spirit is mine to command."

"That easily makes him the most powerful of the seven guardians." Caitlin finished.

"Is that why you were able to wipe out those soldiers that killed Aiden?" Cedric asked. "Because of your rage?"

Cronos nodded. "Yes. Long before Fiona made the prophecy or before the jewel was even born, destiny had me picked out. It knew I would be a Guardian one day, and it was already giving me my powers."

"We all received small shadows of our powers before the jewel was reunited." Caitlin said. "When the gem was finally restored, our might tripled."

"Um…What jewel?" Kairi asked frowning.

"Wait a minute," Carolyn said, "Cronos, you didn't just tell Cedric, did you?"

"Yeah," He groaned. "I only told Cedric. The others have no idea."

All the Guardians moaned in exasperation as Cronos began the long tale once again.

"Well, it all started 200 years ago when..."

(I think you all know the story already)

About an hour later...

The group of friends began to clear out of the room after hearing Cronos's fantastic story. They each had to go prepare for the ceremony. They had to get their part checked one last time, go over what they had to say, and to get in the proper attire. Basically it was a lot of fussing around over minute details and stupid stuff.

Mia lingered behind however. She sat on one of the benches and drew her knees up to her chest. She rested her forehead against her knees, trying to digest the large piece of information she'd just been given.

Cronos's story had left most of them in shock. They stumbled out of the room with dazed expressions, just like Mia, trying to make sense of it all.

"Impressive, isn't it?"

She looked up and felt a chill dance through her bones. Cedric.

"Hard to believe someone could go through all that while remaining sane, huh?" He asked.

Mia nodded. "I feel so awful for him. Poor Cronos...he never knew his real parents and lost his second ones so quickly. At least I have memories of my birth parents; Cronos doesn't even know what they looked like." She whimpered. "Makes me feel like a brat for complaining."

"You're not a brat." Cedric said, "Not even remotely. Cronos grew up to be strong, despite his hardships, and so will you. That's one of the things he told me."

Mia didn't reply.

"He also told me something else..." Cedric said stiffly. He looked at her with a blank expression. "We need to talk."

She nodded in answer and stood up, following Cedric out into the hallway.

Elsewhere...

Frederick's face held its usual stoic smirk as he descended the winding stone steps of his castle. He was headed down into the dungeon chambers with a bloodstained sack in his right hand. He hummed a merry little tune as he walked, swinging the sack with each stride.

Torches were set into the walls at regular intervals, filling the stairwell with a flickering orange light. When he reached the bottom step the way opened into an even larger chamber.

His torture chamber; his pride and joy.

Frederick ceased humming, but continued to swing the bag in joyful mockery of the gruesome room before him. There was a rack with spikes sticking from the metal bars. Each spike was encrusted with a dark red substance that even a fool could identify. More crude instruments of torture were strewn about: knives, chains, saws, and iron pokers. A smell of sulfur hung in the air, remnants of fires often used during 'interrogations'.

Frederick chuckled at his own inner joke. Times had changed; the world had moved on; become more sophisticated. It was a time when torture could be handled in a sterile environment with almost surgical precision. These days it was a matter of knowing where to cut and which chemicals to use. Frederick, however, was old school. He enjoyed the old 'barbaric' means of getting useful information, or just causing pain. He used thick, rusted chains to hang prisoners from the ceiling while they were beaten with iron whips. He would brand his name into the flesh of people giving him a hard time. He would give them concussions with metal clubs and then throw them into one of the cells along the walls of the chamber, so that they could bleed in peace.

But his favorite method was just ahead. It was for this that he had the sack.

As he made his way across the vast chamber, he took note of the cells lining up and down the walls. Many of the stones in the chamber had been soaked red with blood that no amount of scrubbing could erase. That was fine with him; it gave future prisoners an idea of what they were in store for.

Future prisoners...like Cronos.

Just thinking of the half-blood's name made Frederick want to retch. Cronos, bastard son of Fiona and Aiden. Cronos, without whom he would've succeeded on that bloody campaign 200 years ago. Cronos, the abomination that had thwarted him every time fate tried to give Frederick what was rightfully his; Fiona.

Or should he say, Carolyn?

Did it really matter what she was called? Both women were his, no matter if they shared the same body and even if one hadn't grown into a full woman yet. That was of little concern to him. She was his; she belonged to him; Cronos wasn't supposed to be near her. He shouldn't even have it in his head to touch her or talk to her like he had!

But he did. Somehow he did. Like a thief in the night, he had snatched Fiona's host away before Frederick could get a proper grip on her. Wooing her with words of love and making her dizzy with affection. Damn them both! Damn them and their bloody free will!

He reached the edge of the pit. The opening was circular and about five feet in diameter, dropping down about twenty feet. At the bottom, the hole played host to about five snarling demons.

Fredrick smiled and dangled the bag above the pit, watching them snarl and clamber on top of one another, trying to leaping up at him. They weren't even separate creatures when you watched them fight like that. They were one mass of shaggy brown fur with claws and teeth.

Deciding not to keep them in suspense any longer, he turned the bag upside down and dumped its contents into the pit. Large hunks of meat rained down on the beasts, who dove on it and snatched it up in their greedy mouths.

As Frederick watched them eat, he calmed himself from his earlier rage at thoughts of Cronos. Once the boy's usefulness had been served, Frederick would have his broken, battered body hurled into this very pit. Better yet, he would do it himself instead of sending servants to do it for him. He would watch as Cronos was ripped apart himself; and he would laugh in time with the boy's screams. He would see the light go out in those disgusting red eyes.

Those were his dual obsessions; to see Cronos die, and to possess Carolyn. The jewel didn't really matter anymore; it was just a hunk of glass. But Frederick knew he could die happy if he granted his rival death and took back his woman. That was all.

And as for those otherworldly warriors...Well, he hardly concerned himself with thoughts of them.

The Dark Lord drew back his head and laughed a laugh that seemed to make the walls of the chamber catch frost and go cold. Suffering was in the future, no doubt about that.

And in the end, that suffering was great.


	25. Settling Matters

Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Tired

Rant: Just to make conversation, I think I've made Cedric a very likeable character. He's finally starting to mature in this chapter. He gives up at great personal sacrifice to see his friends happy. I really like his character.

**(SPOILER WARNING)**

And by the way, in the latest 'Cirque Du Freak' book, 'Killers of the Dawn' my favorite character died. I'm in mourning. I'm sorry, I know he wasn't the most likeable character to most people. Most fans of the series considered him to be a grumpy old fart. And that was true in some cases, but I still liked his character a lot, though I could never properly explain why. Have you ever had that happen to you? You read about a character, and suddenly you want to meet them and have a real conversation with them just to see how they would react to you and your life? That's what this character did for me. I still love the series, it's changed my life and made me confident enough to pursue writing, but it feels like a part of it is dead now. So even though he's not real, and we never met in real life, Larten Crepsley, I salute you. Even in death may you triumph.

**(END SPOILER)**

* * *

Mia followed Cedric, her heart beating hard in her chest. She knew this was coming. She knew that Cedric wouldn't be able to ignore her for long. He was going to talk to her about the kiss, and Mia would listen to him, forgive him, and try to put up with her guilt again. 

She wasn't expecting him to suddenly stop in the middle of the hall and to say "I've decided to give up on you."

Mia shook her head unbelievingly. Cedric had never said that before. She had a feeling he was there to apologize to her, but she never thought he'd come right out and admit defeat. "What?"

"I've decided to give up on you. The love I feel for you is not only putting my friendship with you in jeopardy, but my friendship with Riku as well. So I'm giving up."

Mia started to let out a sigh of relief, then she stopped and drew it back in. "What does this have to do with what Cronos told you?"

"He told me to accept your choice and move on with my life. He said I can't brood forever and to be glad to have you as a friend and nothing more." Cedric said. "He's right. He's very wise. One that has lived as long as him would be of course, but..." He shook his head. "And I'm sorry for kissing you that time. I didn't know what else to do. It felt like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, and the I figured 'what the hell' and just jumped."

Mia was shaking now. She could feel the sobs building up in her chest, try as she might to hold them down.

"I was a fool not to see it sooner." Cedric said smiling weakly. "You love Riku and not me. I can accept that. It'll be hard, but I think I'll be okay. So don't waste time worrying about me-"

"I'M SORRY!" Mia burst out. Tear were running down her freckled face as Cedric looked on, surprised. She was shaking and crying now. "I do like you Cedric. I like you a lot. But...it's not love. It's not what I feel for Riku. I'm sorry."

Cedric smiled sadly and place a hand on her shoulder. "Mia, it's can't be helped. I can't change how you feel about Riku, nor can I change what he feels for you."

Mia looked gratefully up at her friend. She was so glad he finally understood; but at the same time, he looked so sad she thought her heart would beak.

Cedric seemed to be thinking something over. Then he hesitantly asked. "Just do me one favor, Mia. Let me be in love with you for one last moment." He drew her tightly into his arms. She didn't fight or pull away like she would've normally done; she just let him hold her.

"I love you, Mia." He said softly. "I always will." He released her, and in doing so he released a part of his past. He stepped back and looked at her. "It's been settled now. We must get ready for the ceremony."

Mia smiled through her tears. "Yeah." She turned and began to walk away. Cedric watched her go with sorrow in his eyes.

With each step she took Cedric could feel the love for her leaving his heart, leaving behind only feelings of friendship and trust. It made him feel sick in his stomach. It had been a wondrous feeling; loving someone that much. It had once consumed him; filling him with rare warmth and joy. He would be a shoulder for her to cry on in hard times, he would listen to her problems if she came to him with them, and he would always look after her.

That was all.

Nothing more.

_"Goodbye, Mia."_ He said silently. He turned, and headed back to his own room, ready to perform his own duties in the ceremony.

Tira felt half-dead as she slumped through the halls. She supposed she should be happy; today was the day of the ceremony. They were finally going to lock up the darkness once more. She should've been running and jumping; she should've been singing.

_Ansem's son._

_"It's alright. It'll be over soon. Cedric will go back home when this is over, and I'll never have to think about him again."_

"Tira, you've been sulking all day. What's wrong?"

Tira turned around. Raphael had come across her, as was staring at her with solemn eyes. It was as if her twin could feel her pain as if it were his own.

She looked away from him. "Cedric really is Ansem's son, isn't he?"

She didn't need to look at Raphael to know that he was nodding. "It is as I told you."

Tira grimaced. "How? Cedric's so kind, I can't believe it."

"He can't change where he came from. He can't undo the sins of his father. He can only live with it and try to forget."

Tira wiped her forehead with her hand. "I just don't know what to think."

"Cedric isn't as different as his father as you seem to think." Raphael went on. "He once nearly gave himself to the darkness the same way his father did. He commanded the Heartless when his father died. Though he was possessed, he still has Ansem's weakness. He could be drawn into the shadows again, and that will mean pain for him and anyone who gets near him. That is why I've pushed him away from you." He sighed. "Though now I think I might've been too harsh on him."

Tira shuddered. Cedric had fallen; Cedric had once succumbed to the Heartless. It could happen again. It could easily happen again.

When she turned to Raphael again, he was looking miserable. "I haven't been there for you recently, have I?"

Tira shook her head. "It's alright. I understand. You've been busy; you've got a lot to do."

"That's no excuse." He said shaking his head. "I'm your twin brother, I should be taking better care of you."

"I'm not a child, Raphael."

"True," He admitted, "But I have been a poor excuse for a brother lately. We have drifted apart, haven't we?" He placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. "But don't worry. Things will get better soon. I promise, things will be normal again."

That was Tira's great hope put into words. She almost cried with relief. He brother realized how much his negligence hurt her and he was going to fix it. He would go back to normal again and it would all be as it was before. She clung to her sibling, shaking. All thoughts of Cedric were gone from her head. She was going to get her brother back! It would all be okay in the end; she just knew it.

Raphael's expression remained troubled. He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd overlooked something; something vital.


End file.
